---
updatedAt: 2026-10-05T13:19:59.000Z
agentTools:
  projectIndex: https://docs.censys.com/llms.txt
---

# Platform API Transition Guide

The Censys Platform features an extensive set of API endpoints that enable you to integrate Platform functionality with your tech stack. This document explains which Platform APIs provide parity to Legacy Search APIs and describes some new Platform APIs. You can see complete details about API syntax, parameters, and test the new APIs [in the documentation](https://docs.censys.com/reference/get-started#/).

To ensure a smooth API transition, note the following:

* You must use the new base URL: `https://api.platform.censys.io/v3/`.
  * Global data endpoints use `https://api.platform.censys.io/v3/global/`.
  * Collections endpoints use `https://api.platform.censys.io/v3/collections/`.
  * Adversary Investigation endpoints use `https://api.platform.censys.io/v3/threat-hunting/`.
* Users must have the [API Access role](https://docs.censys.com/reference/get-started#step-1-api-access-role) in order to use the API.
* Your API requests must use a valid [Personal Access Token](https://docs.censys.com/reference/get-started#step-2-authenticate-with-a-personal-access-token).

Platform APIs offer the following advantages over Legacy Search functionality:

* Query across all asset types with one API search query instead of running multiple endpoints for each asset type.
* Access to the expanded and improved [Platform datasets](https://docs.censys.com/docs/platform-datasets).
  * The Platform dataset includes additional context about host and web property software, hardware, operating system, and endpoints previously unavailable in Legacy Search.
* Deeper context about name-based assets on the internet, including websites, APIs, and web-based applications, via the [web property dataset](https://docs.censys.com/docs/platform-web-property-dataset#/).
* New [Collection API endpoints](https://docs.censys.com/reference/collections#/) to programmatically monitor changes to internet infrastructure functionality.

> 📘 Note
>
> The following Platform SDKs are available.
>
> * [Python](https://github.com/censys/censys-sdk-python)
>   * [Python SDK on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/censys-platform/)
> * [Go](https://github.com/censys/censys-sdk-go)
> * [Typescript](https://github.com/censys/censys-sdk-typescript)

## Legacy Search API endpoints replaced by Platform API endpoints

This table maps Legacy Search API endpoints to their equivalent Platform API endpoints, including HTTP methods and notes on any differences. Links to the endpoint documentation in the API reference guide are also provided.

| Legacy Search API method and endpoint               | Platform API method and endpoint                                                               | Description and link                                                                                                                                                                  |
| :-------------------------------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| <sub>`GET /v2/hosts/search`</sub>                   | <sub>`POST /v3/global/search/query`</sub>                                                      | [Unified search across all record types](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-search-query#/).                                                                             |
| <sub>`GET /v2/hosts/aggregate`</sub>                | <sub>`POST /v3/global/search/aggregate`</sub>                                                  | [Aggregate search results](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-search-aggregate#/).                                                                                       |
| <sub>`GET /v2/hosts/{ip}`</sub>                     | <sub>`GET /v3/global/asset/host/{ip}`</sub>                                                    | [Retrieve data for a single host](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-asset-host#/).                                                                                      |
| <sub>`GET /v2/hosts/{ip}/events`</sub>              | <sub>`GET /v3/global/asset/host/{ip}/timeline`</sub>                                           | [Retrieve events for a host](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-asset-host-timeline#/).                                                                                  |
| <sub>`GET /v2/certificates/search`</sub>            | <sub>`POST /v3/global/search/query`</sub>                                                      | [Specify certificate fields in your query](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-search-query#/).                                                                           |
| <sub>`GET /v2/certificates/aggregate`</sub>         | <sub>`POST /v3/global/search/aggregate`</sub>                                                  | [Specify certificate fields in your query](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-search-query#/).                                                                           |
| <sub>`GET /v2/certificates/{fp}`</sub>              | <sub>`GET /v3/global/asset/certificate/{fp}`</sub>                                             | [Retrieve data for a single certificate](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-asset-certificate#/).                                                                        |
| <sub>`GET /v2/certificates/{fp}/observations`</sub> | <sub>`GET /v3/threat-hunting/certificate/{fp}/observations/hosts`</sub>                        | [Get host history for a certificate](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-threathunting-get-host-observations-with-certificate#/). Available to Adversary Investigation module users. |
| <sub>`GET /v2/certificates/{fp}/hosts`</sub>        | <sub>n/a</sub>                                                                                 | Available in Adversary Investigation module in a future release.                                                                                                                      |
| <sub>`GET /v2/hosts/{ip}/certificates`</sub>        | <sub>n/a</sub>                                                                                 | Available in Adversary Investigation module in a future release.                                                                                                                      |
| All comment and tag endpoints                       | Use <sub>v3/tags</sub> for tags. You cannot currently manage comments via API in the Platform. | <Anchor label="See all tag API endpoints here" target="_blank" href="https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-tags-create-tag">See all tag API endpoints here</Anchor>.                   |

## New Platform API endpoints

This table highlights new API functionalities introduced in the Platform that were unavailable in Legacy Search.

| Platform API method and endpoint                                                                 | Description and link                                                                                           |
| :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| <sub>`GET /v3/global/asset/webproperty/{webproperty_id}`</sub>                                   | [Details on a specific web property](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-asset-webproperty#/).     |
| <sub>`POST /v3/global/asset/host?host_ids={host_id},{host_id}`</sub>                             | [Bulk host asset retrieval](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-asset-host-list#/).                |
| <sub>`POST /v3/global/asset/certificate?certificate_ids={fp},{fp}`</sub>                         | [Bulk certificate asset retrieval](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-asset-certificate-list#/).  |
| <sub>`POST /v3/global/asset/webproperty?webproperty_ids={webproperty_id},{webproperty_id}`</sub> | [Bulk web property asset retrieval](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-asset-webproperty-list#/). |
| <sub>`GET /v3/global/asset/host/{host_id}/timeline`</sub>                                        | [Host asset timeline data](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-asset-host-timeline#/).             |
| <sub>`POST /v3/global/search/query`</sub>                                                        | [Unified search across all asset types](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-globaldata-search-query#/).       |

## New Platform Collection API endpoints

[Collections](https://docs.censys.com/docs/platform-collections#/) allow you to track and monitor the results of a Censys query over time. You can save time and resources by creating a collection and configuring alerts to track new assets that match your queries. The following table explores a selection of the collection API endpoints that are available to manage, and monitor your collections. [See the full list of collection APIs in the reference guide](https://docs.censys.com/reference).

| Platform API method and endpoint                                    | Description and link                                                                                          |
| :------------------------------------------------------------------ | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| <sub>`GET /v3/collections`</sub>                                    | [List an organization's collections](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-collections-crud-list#/).           |
| <sub>`POST /v3/collections`</sub>                                   | [Create a collection](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-collections-crud-create#/).                        |
| <sub>`POST /v3/collections/{collection_uid}/search/query`</sub>     | [Search within a collection](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-collections-search-query#/).                |
| <sub>`POST /v3/collections/{collection_uid}/search/aggregate`</sub> | [Aggregate results within a collection](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-collections-search-aggregate#/). |

## New Adversary Investigation API endpoints

The <Anchor label="Adversary Investigation module" target="_blank" href="https://docs.censys.com/docs/platform-threat-hunting#/">Adversary Investigation module</Anchor> is an add-on to the Censys Platform that allows organizations to detect, analyze, and track threat infrastructure with speed and precision.

| Platform API method and endpoint                 | Description and link                                                                                                                                                |
| :----------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| <sub>`POST v3/threat-hunting/value-counts`</sub> | [Get counts of web assets for specific field-value pairs and combinations of field-value pairs](https://docs.censys.com/reference/v3-threathunting-value-counts#/). |