# Getting Started with the SockOdds API
URL: https://sockodds.com/blog/getting-started-with-the-sockodds-api/

> Whether you're building a sportsbook comparison, a fantasy tool, a betting model or an analytics dashboard, here is the shortest path from a free key to Australian odds in your code.

[Odds API](https://sockodds.com/blog/category/odds-api/) · 7 September 2026

# Getting Started with the SockOdds API

Whether you're building a sportsbook comparison, a fantasy tool, a betting model or an analytics dashboard, here is the shortest path from a free key to Australian odds in your code.

Whether you're building a bookmaker comparison, a fantasy tool, a betting model or an analytics dashboard, the SockOdds API gives you the odds and data you need from every Australian bookmaker. Here is the shortest path from nothing to real prices in your code.

## 1. Get a key

Enter an email on the [signup page](https://sockodds.com/signup/). A free Lite key is minted immediately: 10 requests a minute on AFL and NRL from 3 bookmakers, no card, no expiry.

## 2. Make a request

```bash
curl "https://api.sockodds.com/v2/events/?leagueID=AFL&oddsAvailable=true&limit=1" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

You get back an event with every market the books price, each with every bookmaker's price nested under `byBookmaker`.

## 3. Read one price

```python
e = data[0]
o = e["odds"]["points-home-game-ml-home"]        # a market on the event
o["bookOdds"]                                   # consensus American price, e.g. "-108"
o["byBookmaker"]["sportsbet"]["decimal"]        # 1.93 — one book's price
e["links"]["bookmakers"]["sportsbet"]           # deeplink to the event on the book
```

## 4. Learn the grammar once

Every market key is `{statID}-{statEntityID}-{periodID}-{betTypeID}-{sideID}`. Read [the oddID reference](https://sockodds.com/docs/data-types/odds/) once and you can read every market in every sport.

## 5. Build something

- [Live odds tracker](https://sockodds.com/docs/examples/live-odds-tracker/) — detect line movement
- [Arbitrage calculator](https://sockodds.com/docs/examples/arbitrage-calculator/)
- [Odds comparison dashboard](https://sockodds.com/docs/examples/odds-comparison-dashboard/)
- [Player props analyzer](https://sockodds.com/docs/examples/player-props-analyzer/)
- [Multi calculator](https://sockodds.com/docs/examples/parlay-builder/)

Already on SportsGameOdds? [Point your client here](https://sockodds.com/docs/info/migrating-from-sgo/).

**Read more:** [SockOdds: the Australian extension of the SportsGameOdds schema](https://sockodds.com/blog/sockodds-the-australian-extension-of-sportsgameodds/) | [How the Odds API Handles Postponed, Delayed, Cancelled and Stale Events](https://sockodds.com/blog/postponed-delayed-cancelled-events-odds-api/)

## Start building today

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