canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/thetvdb.github.io/thetvdb-github

# TheTVDB API

TheTVDB API v4 provides access to TV, movie, and people data including artwork, episodes, seasons, series, and more. The API exposes 51 endpoints secured with bearer authentication.

## For AI agents

Programmatically login to obtain a bearer token, get artwork base record. Covers 51 operations with bearer authentication.

## Scope

Does not handle payments, communications, or crm - use for developer tools only.

## Capabilities

- Login to obtain a bearer token
- Get artwork base record
- Integrate TheTVDB API into automated workflows
- Query and filter TheTVDB API records by parameters
- Monitor TheTVDB API operational status and events

## Use cases

### Developer Tools Operations

Use the TheTVDB API to perform developer tools operations programmatically. The API provides 51 endpoints covering core functionality including login to obtain a bearer token, get artwork base record, get artwork extended record.

Example prompt: Call POST /login to login to obtain a bearer token

### Automated Artwork Management

Automate artwork operations by combining multiple TheTVDB API endpoints. Agents can get artwork base record and then get artwork extended record in a single workflow.

Example prompt: Call GET `/artwork/{id}` to get artwork base record, then verify the result

### AI Agent Integration via Jentic

AI agents discover and call TheTVDB API endpoints through Jentic without managing credentials directly. An agent searches for the required operation by intent, receives the matching endpoint schema, and executes the call with Jentic-managed authentication. This eliminates the need to read API documentation or handle bearer tokens manually.

Example prompt: Search Jentic for 'login to obtain a bearer token', load the operation schema, and execute with Jentic-managed credentials

## Key endpoints

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POST | `/login` | Login to obtain a bearer token |
| GET | `/artwork/{id}` | Get artwork base record |
| GET | `/artwork/{id}/extended` | Get artwork extended record |
| GET | `/artwork/statuses` | Get all artwork statuses |
| GET | `/artwork/types` | Get all artwork types |
| GET | `/awards` | Get all awards |
| GET | `/awards/{id}` | Get a specific award |
| GET | `/awards/{id}/extended` | Get award extended record |

## Key resources

- **Artwork** — Operations related to Artwork
- **Authentication** — Operations related to Authentication
- **Awards** — Operations related to Awards
- **Characters** — Operations related to Characters
- **Companies** — Operations related to Companies

## Why Jentic

- **Setup:** Wiring TheTVDB API by hand means calling POST /login for a JWT bearer token, sending it on each request, and handling your own retries. Through Jentic you install once, import TheTVDB API from the API Directory, store the token once, and your agent calls it.
- **Permission scoping:** TheTVDB API puts the record id in the URL path (`/artwork/{id}`, `/awards/{id}`), so a rule can pin your agent to a single record type: it can read those records and nothing else. Every operation here is read-only, so it retrieves data within the allowed set you describe and never mutates anything.
- **Credential handling:** Your TheTVDB token is stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected at execution time. It never enters the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
- **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'get artwork for a title' or 'look up an award', and Jentic returns the matching TheTVDB operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs.

## Related APIs

- **Github** — Alternative developer tools API
- **Gitlab** — Alternative developer tools API

## FAQ

### What authentication does the TheTVDB API use?

The TheTVDB API uses a Bearer token in the Authorization header. Through Jentic, these credentials are stored encrypted in your Jentic One instance and injected at execution time, so raw secrets never enter the agent context.

### Can I login to obtain a bearer token with the TheTVDB API?

Yes. Use the POST /login endpoint. The API returns structured JSON responses that agents can parse and act on directly.

### What are the rate limits for the TheTVDB API?

Rate limits are not specified in the OpenAPI spec. Check the vendor documentation for current limits. Through Jentic, rate limiting is handled automatically with retry logic built into the execution layer.

### How do I login to obtain a bearer token through Jentic?

Install the Jentic SDK with pip install jentic, authenticate through Jentic One, the self-hosted execution layer, then search for 'login to obtain a bearer token'. Jentic returns the matching TheTVDB API operation with its input schema. Load the schema and execute the call - credentials are injected automatically.

### How many endpoints does the TheTVDB API have?

The TheTVDB API exposes 51 endpoints covering artwork, authentication, awards operations.

### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the TheTVDB API?

Yes. Because you run Jentic One yourself, your own rules decide which TheTVDB operations and credentials the agent may use. Since this API carries the record id in the URL path, such as `/artwork/{id}` and `/awards/{id}`, you can pin the agent to a single record type so it reads those records and nothing else. Every operation here is read-only, so the agent retrieves data within the set you allow and cannot mutate anything.