# Introducing The Internet's Files API

Source: https://www.pinata.cloud/blog/introducing-the-internets-files-api
Kiwi News: https://news.kiwistand.com/stories/Introducing-The-Internets-Files-API?index=0x66d756b32fc395bf03be6fc32f798298d19e3116bbd7350926617c463895395597d0446b
Submitted by misha on 2024-09-03 UTC, 2 upvotes, 0 comments

## Summary

Pinata has launched the Files API, a private file storage and content distribution service with full CDN support and built-in access controls, aimed at developers and businesses that want IPFS's immutability and content addressing but cannot store files on a public network. Customers can benefit from one or multiple CDNs with custom domains, image optimizations and plugin support, and access private files by generating a time-limited access URL or creating a public group. During the early access period, the Files API is free up to 1GB of storage, 10GB of bandwidth per month and 10,000 requests per month, and it is currently accessible programmatically, with a web app UI still in development.

## Article

For the past six years, Pinata has mastered the file storage business, playing on hard mode. Building the largest and most scalable IPFS pinning service on the market required us to excel not only in IPFS but also in file storage and distribution. Surviving and scaling through the NFT boom was our trial by fire, leading us to develop a world-class CDN that's incredibly easy to use, alongside the best IPFS upload experience available.

Today, we’re taking everything we've learned and applying it to the broader file storage and content distribution market. We've had countless conversations with developers and businesses who appreciate the immutability and content addressability of IPFS but are uncomfortable with storing files on a public network. While encryption has always been an option, it’s often too complex and insufficient for businesses that require absolute data privacy. That's why we've channeled our expertise into creating a private file storage solution with full CDN support and built-in access controls — introducing our Files API.

The Files API

Just like we did with IPFS uploads, we’ve created the simplest and most seamless file upload experience on the market. No matter the file size or your development environment, we’ve got you covered. We'll handle the heavy lifting of uploads so that you can focus on building the rest of your app.

But files are about more than just uploading. We’ve applied our top-tier CDN to the Files API, allowing each customer to benefit from one or multiple CDNs. These CDNs come with powerful features, including:

Custom Domains

Image Optimizations

Plugin Support

One of our key design goals was to make accessing these private files as straightforward as possible. From our experience with other storage providers, we knew that the more time spent configuring access policies, the less time available for solving business problems. That’s why accessing private files is as easy as generating a time-limited access URL or creating a public group for your files.

File management is handled through intuitive API endpoints — list, filter, and organize your files with ease. Prefer SDKs? The new Pinata Typescript SDK offers a seamless experience, getting you up and running in minutes.

What About IPFS?

We're still fully committed to supporting IPFS. We've updated our documentation to clearly differentiate between IPFS and Files API, ensuring you have the right resources at your fingertips. Everything you've come to expect from Pinata on the IPFS front remains supported and continually improving.

If your files need to be public, IPFS is still the best solution. You’ll enjoy the benefits of open, portable data while leveraging Pinata’s Dedicated IPFS Gateways for fast and accessible content.

The bottom line is that we’re still the go-to solution for IPFS, and if your app requires it, Pinata has you covered.

Getting Started

While we are in the early access period, the Files API is free for up to 1GB of storage total, 10GB of bandwidth per month, and 10,000 requests per month. On paid plans, it is unlimited until we find the right price point.*

Ready to dive in? Pinata's Files API is available now! While we’re working on adding a UI to our web app, the API is currently accessible programmatically. Generate your Pinata API Key and get started with our quick start guide.

Focus on your app, not file storage.

*If you’re in the top 1% of usage, we’ll reach out to you to work out a custom solution as this would exceed the acceptable use policy during this unmetered early access period.