name: Gitcoin API FinOps
description: >-
  Financial operations guidance for Gitcoin API consumers. The core Gitcoin
  REST API (bounties and grants) is free and publicly accessible with no cost
  model. The Gitcoin Passport Stamps API is currently free with rate-limit-based
  tiers; no published pricing exists as of June 2026. Consumers should monitor
  usage against tier thresholds to avoid throttling.
costModel:
  - api: Gitcoin Core REST API
    pricing: Free
    billingModel: None
    notes: >-
      Publicly accessible REST API with no authentication or payment required
      for most endpoints. Protected grant contributor export endpoints require
      API credentials obtained through Gitcoin but remain free of charge.
    costDrivers: []
    optimizationTips:
      - Use the limit query parameter to retrieve only necessary records
      - Apply available filter parameters (experience_level, bounty_type, is_open)
        to reduce response payload size
      - Cache responses for read-only data that changes infrequently

  - api: Gitcoin Grants Stack Indexer GraphQL API
    pricing: Free
    billingModel: None
    notes: >-
      Community-run GraphQL indexer for Gitcoin Grants Stack on-chain data.
      No cost to query. No published SLA or uptime guarantees.
    costDrivers: []
    optimizationTips:
      - Use GraphQL field selection to request only needed data
      - Implement pagination for large result sets
      - Cache indexed data where round/project data is not expected to change

  - api: Gitcoin Passport Stamps API
    pricing: Free (rate-limited by tier)
    billingModel: Tier-based, currently no monetary cost
    notes: >-
      As of June 2026, the Gitcoin Passport Stamps API is free across all tiers.
      Tier assignment controls request volume allowances. Higher tiers require
      a formal approval process via Google Form. No credit card or payment
      information required at any tier. Pricing may change as the Passport
      product evolves under Human Passport / passport.xyz branding.
    costDrivers:
      - description: Rate limit tier determines throughput capacity
        impact: Operational — exceeding tier limits causes throttling, not billing
    optimizationTips:
      - Cache passport scores and stamp data; scores do not update in real time
      - Implement exponential backoff for retries on timeout (60s limit per request)
      - Request only the scorer IDs relevant to your application
      - Use the include_metadata parameter selectively to reduce response size
      - Batch address lookups where the API supports pagination rather than
        making individual requests per address
    upgradeProcess: >-
      To increase rate limit tier, submit a formal request via the Google Form
      linked from docs.passport.human.tech. No cost is associated with tier
      upgrades at this time.
    references:
      - url: https://developer.passport.xyz
        description: Gitcoin Passport developer portal for API key registration
      - url: https://docs.passport.human.tech/building-with-passport/passport-api/getting-access
        description: Getting access to the Passport Stamps API