Reading Time CalculatorReading Time Calculator API

OnlineCredit Usage:1 per callRefreshed 1 month ago
avg: 291ms|p50: 275ms|p75: 301ms|p90: 333ms|p99: 396ms

Reading Time Calculator estimates how long it will take to read a given text. It calculates reading time based on word count and customizable reading speed (WPM).

The Reading Time Calculator API provides reliable and fast access to reading time calculator data through a simple REST interface. Built for developers who need consistent, high-quality results with minimal setup time.

To use Reading Time Calculator, you need an API key. You can get one by creating a free account and visiting your dashboard.

POST Endpoint

URL
https://api.apiverve.com/v1/readingtime

Code Examples

Here are examples of how to call the Reading Time Calculator API in different programming languages:

cURL Request
curl -X POST \
  "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/readingtime" \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "text": "This is a sample article with multiple paragraphs. Reading time will be calculated based on word count. The average reading speed is 250 words per minute, which can be customized. This helps content creators provide accurate time estimates to their readers.",
  "wpm": 250
}'
JavaScript (Fetch API)
const response = await fetch('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/readingtime', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'X-API-Key': 'your_api_key_here',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    "text": "This is a sample article with multiple paragraphs. Reading time will be calculated based on word count. The average reading speed is 250 words per minute, which can be customized. This helps content creators provide accurate time estimates to their readers.",
    "wpm": 250
})
});

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);
Python (Requests)
import requests

headers = {
    'X-API-Key': 'your_api_key_here',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}

payload = {
    "text": "This is a sample article with multiple paragraphs. Reading time will be calculated based on word count. The average reading speed is 250 words per minute, which can be customized. This helps content creators provide accurate time estimates to their readers.",
    "wpm": 250
}

response = requests.post('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/readingtime', headers=headers, json=payload)

data = response.json()
print(data)
Node.js (Native HTTPS)
const https = require('https');
const url = require('url');

const options = {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'X-API-Key': 'your_api_key_here',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }
};

const postData = JSON.stringify({
  "text": "This is a sample article with multiple paragraphs. Reading time will be calculated based on word count. The average reading speed is 250 words per minute, which can be customized. This helps content creators provide accurate time estimates to their readers.",
  "wpm": 250
});

const req = https.request('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/readingtime', options, (res) => {
  let data = '';
  res.on('data', (chunk) => data += chunk);
  res.on('end', () => console.log(JSON.parse(data)));
});

req.write(postData);
req.end();
PHP (cURL)
<?php

$ch = curl_init();

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, 'https://api.apiverve.com/v1/readingtime');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST, 'POST');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    'X-API-Key: your_api_key_here',
    'Content-Type: application/json'
]);

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode({
    'text': 'This is a sample article with multiple paragraphs. Reading time will be calculated based on word count. The average reading speed is 250 words per minute, which can be customized. This helps content creators provide accurate time estimates to their readers.',
    'wpm': 250
}));

$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

$data = json_decode($response, true);
print_r($data);

?>
Go (net/http)
package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "io"
    "net/http"
    "bytes"
    "encoding/json"
)

func main() {
    payload := map[string]interface{}{
        "text": "This is a sample article with multiple paragraphs. Reading time will be calculated based on word count. The average reading speed is 250 words per minute, which can be customized. This helps content creators provide accurate time estimates to their readers.",
        "wpm": "250"
    }

    jsonPayload, _ := json.Marshal(payload)
    req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/readingtime", bytes.NewBuffer(jsonPayload))

    req.Header.Set("X-API-Key", "your_api_key_here")
    req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")

    client := &http.Client{}
    resp, err := client.Do(req)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
    fmt.Println(string(body))
}
Ruby (Net::HTTP)
require 'net/http'
require 'json'

uri = URI('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/readingtime')
http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = true

payload = {
  "text": "This is a sample article with multiple paragraphs. Reading time will be calculated based on word count. The average reading speed is 250 words per minute, which can be customized. This helps content creators provide accurate time estimates to their readers.",
  "wpm": 250
}

request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(uri)
request['X-API-Key'] = 'your_api_key_here'
request['Content-Type'] = 'application/json'

request.body = payload.to_json

response = http.request(request)
puts JSON.pretty_generate(JSON.parse(response.body))
C# (HttpClient)
using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        using var client = new HttpClient();
        client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("X-API-Key", "your_api_key_here");

        var jsonContent = @"{
        ""text"": ""This is a sample article with multiple paragraphs. Reading time will be calculated based on word count. The average reading speed is 250 words per minute, which can be customized. This helps content creators provide accurate time estimates to their readers."",
        ""wpm"": 250
}";
        var content = new StringContent(jsonContent, Encoding.UTF8, "application/json");

        var response = await client.PostAsync("https://api.apiverve.com/v1/readingtime", content);
        response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();

        var responseBody = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
        Console.WriteLine(responseBody);
    }
}

Authentication

The Reading Time Calculator API requires authentication via API key. Include your API key in the request header:

Required Header
X-API-Key: your_api_key_here

Learn more about authentication →

Interactive API Playground

Test the Reading Time Calculator API directly in your browser with live requests and responses.

Parameters

The following parameters are available for the Reading Time Calculator API:

Calculate Reading Time

ParameterTypeRequiredDescriptionDefaultExample
textstringrequired
The text to calculate reading time for
Length: max: 500000 chars
-This is a sample article with multiple paragraphs. Reading time will be calculated based on word count.
wpmintegeroptional
Words per minute reading speed
Range: 50 - 1000
250250

Response

The Reading Time Calculator API returns responses in JSON, XML, YAML, and CSV formats:

Example Responses

JSON Response
200 OK
{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "text_length": 257,
    "word_count": 41,
    "reading_time_minutes": 1,
    "reading_time_seconds": 10,
    "reading_time_text": "1 min read",
    "words_per_minute": 250
  }
}
XML Response
200 OK
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<response>
  <status>ok</status>
  <error xsi:nil="true" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"/>
  <data>
    <text_length>257</text_length>
    <word_count>41</word_count>
    <reading_time_minutes>1</reading_time_minutes>
    <reading_time_seconds>10</reading_time_seconds>
    <reading_time_text>1 min read</reading_time_text>
    <words_per_minute>250</words_per_minute>
  </data>
</response>
YAML Response
200 OK
status: ok
error: null
data:
  text_length: 257
  word_count: 41
  reading_time_minutes: 1
  reading_time_seconds: 10
  reading_time_text: 1 min read
  words_per_minute: 250
CSV Response
200 OK
keyvalue
text_length257
word_count41
reading_time_minutes1
reading_time_seconds10
reading_time_text1 min read
words_per_minute250

Response Structure

All API responses follow a consistent structure with the following fields:

FieldTypeDescriptionExample
statusstringIndicates whether the request was successful ("ok") or failed ("error")ok
errorstring | nullContains error message if status is "error", otherwise nullnull
dataobject | nullContains the API response data if successful, otherwise null{...}

Learn more about response formats →

Response Data Fields

When the request is successful, the data object contains the following fields:

FieldTypeSample ValueDescription
text_lengthnumber257-
word_countnumber41-
reading_time_minutesnumber1-
reading_time_secondsnumber10-
reading_time_textstring"1 min read"-
words_per_minutenumber250-

Headers

Required and optional headers for Reading Time Calculator API requests:

Header NameRequiredExample ValueDescription
X-API-Keyrequiredyour_api_key_hereYour APIVerve API key. Found in your dashboard under API Keys.
Acceptoptionalapplication/jsonSpecify response format: application/json (default), application/xml, or application/yaml
User-AgentoptionalMyApp/1.0Identifies your application for analytics and debugging purposes
X-Request-IDoptionalreq_123456789Custom request identifier for tracking and debugging requests
Cache-Controloptionalno-cacheControl caching behavior for the request and response

Learn more about request headers →

GraphQL AccessALPHA

Access Reading Time Calculator through GraphQL to combine it with other API calls in a single request. Query only the reading time calculator data you need with precise field selection, and orchestrate complex data fetching workflows.

Test Reading Time Calculator in the GraphQL Explorer to confirm availability and experiment with queries.

Credit Cost: Each API called in your GraphQL query consumes its standard credit cost.

GraphQL Endpoint
POST https://api.apiverve.com/v1/graphql
GraphQL Query Example
query {
  readingtime(
    input: {
      text: "This is a sample article with multiple paragraphs. Reading time will be calculated based on word count. The average reading speed is 250 words per minute, which can be customized. This helps content creators provide accurate time estimates to their readers."
      wpm: 250
    }
  ) {
    text_length
    word_count
    reading_time_minutes
    reading_time_seconds
    reading_time_text
    words_per_minute
  }
}

Note: Authentication is handled via the x-api-key header in your GraphQL request, not as a query parameter.

CORS Support

The Reading Time Calculator API supports Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) with wildcard configuration, allowing you to call Reading Time Calculator directly from browser-based applications without proxy servers.

CORS HeaderValueDescription
Access-Control-Allow-Origin*Accepts requests from any origin
Access-Control-Allow-Methods*Accepts any HTTP method
Access-Control-Allow-Headers*Accepts any request headers

Browser Usage: You can call Reading Time Calculator directly from JavaScript running in the browser without encountering CORS errors. No proxy server or additional configuration needed.

Learn more about CORS support →

Rate Limiting

Reading Time Calculator API requests are subject to rate limiting based on your subscription plan. These limits ensure fair usage and maintain service quality for all Reading Time Calculator users.

PlanRate LimitDescription
Free5 requests/minHard rate limit enforced - exceeding will return 429 errors
StarterNo LimitProduction ready - standard traffic priority
ProNo LimitProduction ready - preferred traffic priority
MegaNo LimitProduction ready - highest traffic priority

Learn more about rate limiting →

Rate Limit Headers

When rate limits apply, each Reading Time Calculator response includes headers to help you track your usage:

HeaderDescription
X-RateLimit-LimitMaximum number of requests allowed per time window
X-RateLimit-RemainingNumber of requests remaining in the current window
X-RateLimit-ResetUnix timestamp when the rate limit window resets

Handling Rate Limits

Free Plan: When you exceed your rate limit, Reading Time Calculator returns a 429 Too Many Requests status code. Your application should implement appropriate backoff logic to handle this gracefully.

Paid Plans: No rate limiting or throttling applied. All paid plans (Starter, Pro, Mega) are production-ready.

Best Practices for Reading Time Calculator:

  • Monitor the rate limit headers to track your Reading Time Calculator usage (Free plan only)
  • Cache reading time calculator responses where appropriate to reduce API calls
  • Upgrade to Pro or Mega for guaranteed no-throttle Reading Time Calculator performance

Note: Reading Time Calculator rate limits are separate from credit consumption. You may have credits remaining but still hit rate limits when using Reading Time Calculator on Free tier.

Error Codes

The Reading Time Calculator API uses standard HTTP status codes to indicate success or failure:

CodeMessageDescriptionSolution
200OKRequest successful, data returnedNo action needed - request was successful
400Bad RequestInvalid request parameters or malformed requestCheck required parameters and ensure values match expected formats
401UnauthorizedMissing or invalid API keyInclude x-api-key header with valid API key from dashboard
403ForbiddenAPI key lacks permission or insufficient creditsCheck credit balance in dashboard or upgrade plan
429Too Many RequestsRate limit exceeded (Free: 5 req/min)Implement request throttling or upgrade to paid plan
500Internal Server ErrorServer error occurredRetry request after a few seconds, contact support if persists
503Service UnavailableAPI temporarily unavailableWait and retry, check status page for maintenance updates

Learn more about error handling →

Need help? Contact support with your X-Request-ID for assistance.

Integrate Reading Time Calculator with SDKs

Get started quickly with official Reading Time Calculator SDKs for your preferred language. Each library handles authentication, request formatting, and error handling automatically.

Available for Node.js, Python, C#/.NET, and Android/Java. All SDKs are open source and regularly updated.

Integrate Reading Time Calculator with No-Code API Tools

Connect the Reading Time Calculator API to your favorite automation platform without writing code. Build workflows that leverage reading time calculator data across thousands of apps.

All platforms use your same API key to access Reading Time Calculator. Visit our integrations hub for step-by-step setup guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get an API key for Reading Time Calculator?
Sign up for a free account at dashboard.apiverve.com. Your API key will be automatically generated and available in your dashboard. The same key works for Reading Time Calculator and all other APIVerve APIs. The free plan includes 1,000 credits plus a 500 credit bonus.
How many credits does Reading Time Calculator cost?

Each successful Reading Time Calculator API call consumes credits based on plan tier. Check the pricing section above for the exact credit cost. Failed requests and errors don't consume credits, so you only pay for successful reading time calculator lookups.

Can I use Reading Time Calculator in production?

The free plan is for testing and development only. For production use of Reading Time Calculator, upgrade to a paid plan (Starter, Pro, or Mega) which includes commercial use rights, no attribution requirements, and guaranteed uptime SLAs. All paid plans are production-ready.

Can I use Reading Time Calculator from a browser?
Yes! The Reading Time Calculator API supports CORS with wildcard configuration, so you can call it directly from browser-based JavaScript without needing a proxy server. See the CORS section above for details.
What happens if I exceed my Reading Time Calculator credit limit?

When you reach your monthly credit limit, Reading Time Calculator API requests will return an error until you upgrade your plan or wait for the next billing cycle. You'll receive notifications at 80% and 95% usage to give you time to upgrade if needed.

What's Next?

Continue your journey with these recommended resources

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