New Payload Controls for the `/cards` Endpoint are Here!

We get it. Unnecessary data is bloat. It increases payload size, slows down response times, and uses up bandwidth. That’s not what we’re about. Our promise is a dedicated, simple, and reliable API, and today, we’re making it even simpler and faster.

After a successful two-week beta period with a handful of our power users (a huge thank you to them!), we are officially rolling out two new query parameters to all JustTCG developers.

Meet Your New Tools for a Leaner API Call #

We’ve added two optional parameters to the /cards endpoint that give you precise control over which data objects are included in the response.

include_price_history #

This is a simple boolean that controls the inclusion of the price_history array, which contains the detailed day-by-day historical data.

• How it works: Set include_price_history=false to completely remove the price_history object from the API response.
• Use Case: Perfect for when your application only needs to display the most current price and doesn’t require a historical chart or data.

include_statistics #

This parameter allows you to select specific timeframes for the price data. You can now cherry-pick exactly which calculations you need.

• How it works: Pass a comma-separated list of the timeframes you want. The available options are 7d, 30d, 90d, 1y, and allTime.
• Use Case: Ideal for building a dashboard where you might only show a 7-day and 30-day trend line, allowing you to skip the data for longer time horizons.

Practical Example #

Let’s see how this works in practice.

Before: The Standard Call #

A standard call to the /cards endpoint gives you everything, which remains the default behavior.

GET /cards?name=Animate Dead&game=mtg

This returns the full response object, including the complete price_history and statistics objects.

After: Trimming the Fat #

Now, let’s say you’re building a simple portfolio view and only need the current price and the 7-day and 30-day percentage change. You don’t need the full daily history or the 1-year stats.

Your new, optimized call would look like this:

GET /cards?name=Animate Dead&game=mtg&include_price_history=false&include_statistics=7d,30d

The response payload will be significantly smaller and faster to parse, as it will only contain the data for the 7d and 30d keys. Simple, fast, and efficient.

100% Backwards Compatible #

This is critical: these changes are completely non-breaking.

If you don’t add these new parameters to your existing API calls, the response structure will not change at all. Your current implementation will continue to work exactly as it always has, with no modifications required on your end. You can adopt these new controls at your own pace, whenever you’re ready to optimize.

Available to Everyone, Today #

This feature has been battle-tested over the last two weeks and is now officially available to all users on all plans, including the Free tier.

Our goal is to build the tools that make your life as a developer easier. This update is a direct result of your feedback and a step toward making JustTCG the most developer-friendly TCG pricing API on the market.

Dive into the updated **API Documentation** to see the full details. We can’t wait to see the faster, more efficient applications you build with these new controls!