Does IMDb provide an api or a data dump to get all title IDs?

PublicHandle picture PublicHandle · Jun 24, 2011 · Viewed 65.6k times · Source

IMDB provides plain text files user's can download and use which can be found here: IMDB Plain Text Files which is great but I don't see the ID used for each movie in any of the files.

Given IMDB specifically says not to use scrapers, data gatherers etc in their Conditions of Use how would one obtain the title ID http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1133985/ for each movie if they aren't included in any of the plain text files.

I've noticed there are some API's others have built that do include this ID so I'm wondering how did they manage to do that.

Answer

Lenin Raj Rajasekaran picture Lenin Raj Rajasekaran · Jun 24, 2011

You can use IMDB API located at

www.omdbapi.com

You can search for movie names like this -

http://www.omdbapi.com/?t=hangover%202

{
"Title":"The Hangover Part II",
"Year":"2011",
"Rated":"R",
"Released":"26 May 2011",
"Genre":"Comedy",
"Director":"Todd Phillips",
"Writer":"Craig Mazin, Scot Armstrong",
"Actors":"Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha",
"Plot":"Right after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu's wedding. Stu's plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch, however, goes seriously awry.",
"Poster":"http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTM2MTM4MzY2OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjQ3NzI4NA@@._V1_SX320.jpg","
Runtime":"1 hr 42 mins",
"Rating":"7.1",
"Votes":"13547",
"ID":"tt1411697",
"Response":"True"
} 

You can get the "ID" (tt1411697) from this JSON response.