Licensing Policies Quick Reference

This article contains a summary of the key policies that govern how you can use API.Bible and its content. Keep in mind that specific translation licenses and custom agreements may include additional requirements. For deeper explanations, follow the links in each section.

Commercial Use

Commercial use means any use of API.Bible, its service, or its content as part of a product or service that generates revenue — including advertising, licensing fees, in-app promotions, sponsorships, freemium models, and paid access. If your application generates revenue directly or indirectly, it is generally considered commercial use. 

• Starter plan: Non-commercial use only.
• Pro plan: Commercial use available.
• Enterprise plan: Commercial use available. Contact support@api.bible for custom terms.

See Linking a Plan to an App for plan details.

Bible Access Tiers

Access to Bible translations depends on your plan and the translation's license type:

• Open Access (Public Domain & Creative Commons): Available on all plans at no extra cost.
• Standard License (Copyrighted Bibles): Available on eligible plans. Access must be requested or added individually for each translation. Add them from the Plan tab in your Dashboard.
• Unique License: Requires a direct agreement with the rights holder. Contact support@api.bible to request access.

Learn How to Find Copyright and Public Domain Status of Bibles.

Copyright Display

You must display copyright attribution alongside all Scripture content from copyrighted translations. This applies to every translation, every time it is displayed in your application. See Appendix A - Formatting for Detailed Copyright information .

Sub-Licensing

Sub-licensing of API.Bible content is not permitted. If your use case requires it, contact support@api.bible to discuss options. See Understanding API.Bible Licensing for more on content licensing.

Fair Use Management System (FUMS)

FUMS is required for all web applications that display Scripture content from the API. It tracks how content is used across versions, books, chapters, and verses — data that helps demonstrate the value of API access to copyright holders and publishers. Integrate FUMS wherever you display API results on a webpage. See Understanding FUMS for specific details.

Overage Protection

Available on Pro and Enterprise plans only. If you exceed your monthly API call limit, overage is charged at $1 per 1,000 additional calls, billed in 1,000-call increments. Starter plans have no overage option — calls stop at the monthly limit. See Overage Protection for more details.

Caching

Caching is permitted, but cached content must be refreshed at least once every 30 days to ensure licensing requirements and content updates are respected. Refreshing more frequently — every 14 days or less — is recommended to ensure your users receive the most current content. Read more about Caching Content.