---
title: API Terms - Scholar Sidekick
description: Terms of use for the Scholar Sidekick API.
doc_version: "1.0"
last_updated: "2026-02-08"
---

# API Terms

> Terms of use for the Scholar Sidekick API.
> HTML version: https://scholar-sidekick.com/legal/api-terms
> Last updated: 2026-02-08

## Non-legal summary

Use the API responsibly, within rate limits, and without abuse. We may change these terms and limits. This page is not legal advice.

## Access & authentication

- Access is via RapidAPI key or first-party key (when available).
- Keep your keys confidential. You are responsible for any use under your key.
- We may revoke access for abuse, security risk, or policy violations.

## Acceptable use

- Do not exceed published rate limits or attempt to bypass them.
- No scraping designed to degrade service stability or interfere with other users.
- Do not attempt to probe, scan, or test for vulnerabilities.
- Do not use the service to violate third-party rights or applicable law.

## Rate limits & quotas

- Quotas are enforced per plan. Bursts are limited per minute.
- On `429 Too Many Requests`, check the `Retry-After` header.
- Successful responses include `X-RateLimit-*` headers (limit, remaining, reset).

## Output & attribution

- Outputs are provided "as is" and may reflect upstream registry data.
- For authoritative records, verify with the source registry (e.g., Crossref, PubMed, arXiv).
- If you build tools or services on top of this API, include a visible reference to Scholar Sidekick.

## Service modes

- We may operate in maintenance or read-only modes during upgrades or incidents.
- Non-essential endpoints may be disabled in these modes; health checks remain available.

## Privacy

- We log minimal request metadata for debugging, abuse prevention, and rate limiting.
- See our [Privacy Policy](https://scholar-sidekick.com/legal/privacy) for details.

## Availability & changes

- No SLA is provided at this time; uptime is best-effort.
- We may change or deprecate endpoints, parameters, or rate limits with notice via docs or changelog.
- Breaking changes will be minimized and communicated when feasible.

## Termination

- We may suspend or terminate access for misuse, security concerns, or non-payment (if applicable).

## Warranties & liability

- The service is provided "as is" and "as available". No warranties of any kind.
- To the maximum extent permitted by law, liability is limited to amounts you paid for the service in the prior 3 months (if any).

## Contact

For issues or abuse reports, contact <admin@scholar-sidekick.com>.

## Related

- [API Docs](https://scholar-sidekick.com/docs)
- [Terms of Service](https://scholar-sidekick.com/legal/terms)
- [Privacy Policy](https://scholar-sidekick.com/legal/privacy)

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://scholar-sidekick.com/sitemap.md) for all pages.