generated: '2026-07-21'
method: searched
source: https://www.virtualmin.com/docs/development/remote-api/
docs: https://www.virtualmin.com/docs/development/remote-api/
summary: >-
  Cross-cutting request/response semantics for the Virtualmin Remote API (remote.cgi).
  Every call names a command-line program via the `program` parameter and passes that
  program's options as CGI parameters; the same ~200 programs back the command-line API.
authentication:
  style: http-basic
  detail: HTTP Basic as the Webmin master administrator; see authentication/virtualmin-authentication.yml
transport:
  base: https://<host>:10000/virtual-server/remote.cgi
  methods: [GET, POST]
  recommended: POST
  reason: >-
    POST is recommended so the program name and its parameters (which can include
    passwords) are not exposed in the URL / server logs.
request:
  dispatch_param: program
  example: /virtual-server/remote.cgi?program=create-alias&domain=domain.com&from=sales&to=user@domain.com
  parameters: CGI query-string or POST form fields specific to each program
response:
  default_format: text
  formats:
  - {name: text, how: default, note: plain text plus a trailing exit-status line indicating success or failure}
  - {name: json, how: json=1}
  - {name: xml, how: xml=1}
  - {name: perl, how: perl=1}
  status_signal: >-
    Success/failure is conveyed by the exit-status line in the output (mirrors the
    CLI exit code: 0 success, non-zero failure), in addition to the HTTP status.
pagination:
  style: none
  detail: >-
    No cursor/offset pagination. Listing programs (list-*) return the full set; add
    `multiline` to any list-* call for detailed multi-field output per item.
idempotency:
  supported: false
  detail: >-
    No idempotency-key mechanism is documented. Programs are named by verb
    (create-*, modify-*, delete-*, enable-*, disable-*); retries are not deduplicated
    by the API. No Idempotency pointer is wired.
versioning:
  style: none-at-request-level
  detail: >-
    The Remote API is unversioned at the request level; capability tracks the
    installed Virtualmin release. See lifecycle/ and changelog/.
cross_links:
  authentication: authentication/virtualmin-authentication.yml
  lifecycle: lifecycle/virtualmin-lifecycle.yml
  changelog: changelog/virtualmin-changelog.yml
  cli: cli/virtualmin-cli.yml