Building an Air Conditioner API with The Product API: A Complete Guide

Introduction to Air Conditioners

Air conditioners are essential for maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures. With numerous models available from brands like LG, Frigidaire, Haier, Midea, and GE, finding the right air conditioner with the right cooling capacity can be overwhelming. Whether you're a homeowner looking for a window unit, a renter needing a portable model, or a developer building an HVAC marketplace, having structured air conditioner product data is crucial.

Imagine being able to search for air conditioners and instantly get detailed information about each unit - from cooling capacity and energy efficiency to installation type and smart features, from dimensions to operating modes. This is exactly what a specialized Air Conditioner Product API can provide.

What Makes an Air Conditioner API Special?

An Air Conditioner Product API goes beyond basic product listings. It understands the unique characteristics that matter to AC buyers:

• Type: Window, portable, split, central, or ductless mini-split
• Cooling Capacity: BTU rating for room size
• Energy Efficiency: EER and SEER ratings
• Features: Remote control, timer, sleep mode, and smart connectivity
• Size: Dimensions for installation requirements
• Noise Level: Operating sound levels
• Filters: Filter type and maintenance

With this structured data, you can build powerful features like filtering by room size, comparing energy efficiency, or recommending units based on installation type.

Try It Out: Search for Air Conditioners

Use the search bar below to search for air conditioners. Try queries like "LG 12000 BTU window AC", "Frigidaire portable air conditioner", or "Midea smart window unit". The results will include detailed specifications automatically extracted from product information across the web.

How It Works: Technical Implementation

Now that you've seen the API in action, let's dive into how it's implemented. This specialized Air Conditioner API is built on top of The Product API which is an AI-based product search API that works with any product and any type of query. It responds with structured JSON and supports custom structured responses, allowing you to build specialized APIs for any product category.

The Product API's powerful custom_data_schema feature allows you to define additional structured fields specific to your product category, enabling you to create category-specific APIs like this Air Conditioner API. For more details on how the API works, see the full documentation.

Understanding APIs for Product Data

An API (Application Programming Interface) enables different software applications to communicate. For product data:

• Input: You send a search query (e.g., "air conditioner LG 12000 BTU")
• Processing: The API searches across multiple sources and uses AI to extract relevant information
• Output: You receive structured product data in JSON format

The flexibility of a product API means you can customize it for specific categories by defining additional data fields through JSON Schema.

Creating an Air Conditioner-Specific JSON Schema to pass as custom_data_schema of search request

Here's the JSON Schema we use for air conditioner products:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "ac_type": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": ["window", "portable", "split", "central", "ductless_mini_split", "through_the_wall"],
      "description": "Air conditioner type"
    },
    "cooling_capacity": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Cooling capacity in BTUs (e.g., '5000 BTU', '12000 BTU', '18000 BTU')"
    },
    "room_size": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Recommended room size in square feet (e.g., '150-250 sq ft')"
    },
    "energy_efficiency_ratio": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER)"
    },
    "seasonal_energy_efficiency_ratio": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER)"
    },
    "energy_star_rated": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Energy Star certification"
    },
    "refrigerant": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Refrigerant type (e.g., 'R-410A', 'R-32')"
    },
    "operating_modes": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": { "type": "string" },
      "description": "Operating modes (e.g., ['cool', 'fan', 'dehumidify', 'auto', 'heat'])"
    },
    "fan_speeds": {
      "type": "number",
      "description": "Number of fan speed settings"
    },
    "remote_control": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Remote control included"
    },
    "timer": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Timer function"
    },
    "sleep_mode": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Sleep mode feature"
    },
    "noise_level": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Noise level in decibels (e.g., '52 dB', '55 dB')"
    },
    "filter_type": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Air filter type (e.g., 'washable', 'HEPA', 'carbon')"
    },
    "washable_filter": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Washable/reusable filter"
    },
    "smart_features": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Smart connectivity features (Wi-Fi, app control)"
    },
    "width": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Width in inches"
    },
    "height": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Height in inches"
    },
    "depth": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Depth in inches"
    },
    "weight": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Weight in pounds"
    },
    "voltage": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Voltage requirement (e.g., '115V', '230V')"
    },
    "price_range": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Price range category (budget, mid-range, premium)"
    }
  },
  "required": ["ac_type", "cooling_capacity"]
}
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Using the Category Prefix

When searching for air conditioners, we prefix the search query with "air conditioner" to help the AI understand the context and return more relevant results.

Example Search Queries:

• air conditioner LG 12000 BTU window
• air conditioner Frigidaire portable
• air conditioner Midea smart window
• air conditioner Haier Energy Star

The prefix "air conditioner" ensures the API understands you're looking specifically for air conditioning units and not other products.

Complete Example: Making a Request

Here's how to make a request to The Product API with an air conditioner-specific schema. For complete API reference including authentication, endpoints, and all parameters, see the documentation:

const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/api?search=air%20conditioner%20LG%2012000%20BTU&with_image=true', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    custom_data_schema: {
      type: "object",
      properties: {
        ac_type: {
          type: "string",
          enum: ["window", "portable", "split", "central", "ductless_mini_split", "through_the_wall"],
          description: "Air conditioner type"
        },
        cooling_capacity: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Cooling capacity in BTUs"
        },
        room_size: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Recommended room size in square feet"
        },
        energy_efficiency_ratio: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER)"
        },
        seasonal_energy_efficiency_ratio: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER)"
        },
        energy_star_rated: {
          type: "boolean",
          description: "Energy Star certification"
        },
        refrigerant: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Refrigerant type"
        },
        operating_modes: {
          type: "array",
          items: { type: "string" },
          description: "Operating modes"
        },
        fan_speeds: {
          type: "number",
          description: "Number of fan speed settings"
        },
        remote_control: {
          type: "boolean",
          description: "Remote control included"
        },
        timer: {
          type: "boolean",
          description: "Timer function"
        },
        sleep_mode: {
          type: "boolean",
          description: "Sleep mode feature"
        },
        noise_level: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Noise level in decibels"
        },
        filter_type: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Air filter type"
        },
        washable_filter: {
          type: "boolean",
          description: "Washable/reusable filter"
        },
        smart_features: {
          type: "boolean",
          description: "Smart connectivity features"
        },
        width: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Width in inches"
        },
        height: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Height in inches"
        },
        depth: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Depth in inches"
        },
        weight: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Weight in pounds"
        },
        voltage: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Voltage requirement"
        },
        price_range: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Price range category"
        }
      },
      required: ["ac_type", "cooling_capacity"]
    }
  })
});

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data.products);
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Expected Response

The API will return products with standard fields plus your custom custom_data field:

{
  "status": "success",
  "products": [
    {
      "name": "LG LW1216HR 12000 BTU Window Air Conditioner",
      "description": "The LG LW1216HR features 12000 BTU cooling capacity...",
      "brand": "LG",
      "image": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
      "custom_data": {
        "ac_type": "window",
        "cooling_capacity": "12000 BTU",
        "room_size": "550-700 sq ft",
        "energy_efficiency_ratio": "12.1 EER",
        "seasonal_energy_efficiency_ratio": null,
        "energy_star_rated": true,
        "refrigerant": "R-410A",
        "operating_modes": ["cool", "fan", "dehumidify", "auto"],
        "fan_speeds": 4,
        "remote_control": true,
        "timer": true,
        "sleep_mode": true,
        "noise_level": "52 dB",
        "filter_type": "washable",
        "washable_filter": true,
        "smart_features": false,
        "width": "25.5 inches",
        "height": "16.5 inches",
        "depth": "22.5 inches",
        "weight": "78 lbs",
        "voltage": "115V",
        "price_range": "mid-range"
      }
    }
  ]
}
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Conclusion

By combining the flexible Product API with an air conditioner-specific JSON Schema, you can create a powerful, specialized API for air conditioner products. The key is:

1. Define your schema based on what air conditioner data matters to your application
2. Use category prefixes in search queries for better context
3. Leverage the custom_data field to build rich, category-specific features

The same approach works for any product category - you just need to define the right schema for your needs!

Ready to get started? Create your own product API on The Product API and start building your own category-specific APIs today!

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Ready to build your own category-specific API? Check out our other API preset guides for ovens, heaters, refrigerators, and more!