Building a Monitor API with The Product API: A Complete Guide

Introduction to Monitors

Monitors are essential for computing, gaming, and professional work. With numerous models available from brands like Dell, LG, ASUS, Samsung, and Acer, finding the right monitor with the right specifications can be overwhelming. Whether you're a gamer needing high refresh rates, a designer requiring color accuracy, or a developer building an electronics marketplace, having structured monitor product data is crucial.

Imagine being able to search for monitors and instantly get detailed information about each display - from screen size and resolution to panel technology and connectivity, from refresh rate to gaming features. This is exactly what a specialized Monitor Product API can provide.

What Makes a Monitor API Special?

A Monitor Product API goes beyond basic product listings. It understands the unique characteristics that matter to monitor buyers:

• Display: Screen size, resolution, and panel technology (IPS, VA, TN, OLED)
• Performance: Refresh rate, response time, and input lag
• Connectivity: HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, and VGA ports
• Features: HDR support, gaming features, and adjustability
• Design: Curved displays, bezel size, and VESA mounting
• Professional: Color gamut, brightness, and contrast ratio

With this structured data, you can build powerful features like filtering by refresh rate, comparing panel types, or recommending monitors based on use case.

Try It Out: Search for Monitors

Use the search bar below to search for monitors. Try queries like "Dell UltraSharp 27 4K", "ASUS ROG gaming 144Hz", or "LG OLED 32 inch". 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 Monitor 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 Monitor 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., "monitor Dell UltraSharp 27")
• 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 a Monitor-Specific JSON Schema to pass as custom_data_schema of search request

Here's the JSON Schema we use for monitor products:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "screen_size": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Screen size in inches (e.g., '24', '27', '32', '34')"
    },
    "resolution": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": ["1080p Full HD", "1440p QHD", "4K UHD", "5K", "8K UHD", "Ultrawide"],
      "description": "Display resolution"
    },
    "panel_type": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": ["IPS", "VA", "TN", "OLED", "Mini LED"],
      "description": "Panel technology type"
    },
    "refresh_rate": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Refresh rate in Hz (e.g., '60Hz', '144Hz', '240Hz')"
    },
    "response_time": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Response time in milliseconds (e.g., '1ms', '4ms', '5ms')"
    },
    "aspect_ratio": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Aspect ratio (e.g., '16:9', '21:9', '16:10', '32:9')"
    },
    "curved": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Curved display"
    },
    "hdr_support": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": { "type": "string" },
      "description": "HDR formats supported (e.g., ['HDR10', 'HDR10+', 'Dolby Vision', 'DisplayHDR'])"
    },
    "connectivity": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": { "type": "string" },
      "description": "Connectivity options (e.g., ['HDMI', 'DisplayPort', 'USB-C', 'VGA', 'DVI'])"
    },
    "usb_ports": {
      "type": "number",
      "description": "Number of USB ports"
    },
    "usb_c_power_delivery": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "USB-C Power Delivery support"
    },
    "built_in_speakers": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Built-in speakers"
    },
    "webcam": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Built-in webcam"
    },
    "adjustability": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": { "type": "string" },
      "description": "Adjustability features (e.g., ['height', 'tilt', 'swivel', 'pivot'])"
    },
    "vesa_mount": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "VESA mount compatibility"
    },
    "gaming_features": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": { "type": "string" },
      "description": "Gaming features (e.g., ['G-Sync', 'FreeSync', 'Adaptive Sync', 'ELMB'])"
    },
    "color_gamut": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Color gamut coverage (e.g., '99% sRGB', '95% DCI-P3', '100% Adobe RGB')"
    },
    "brightness": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Brightness in nits (e.g., '250 nits', '400 nits', '1000 nits')"
    },
    "contrast_ratio": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Contrast ratio (e.g., '1000:1', '3000:1')"
    },
    "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"
    },
    "price_range": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Price range category (budget, mid-range, premium)"
    }
  },
  "required": ["screen_size", "resolution", "panel_type"]
}
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Using the Category Prefix

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

Example Search Queries:

• monitor Dell UltraSharp 27 4K
• monitor ASUS ROG gaming 144Hz
• monitor LG OLED 32 inch
• monitor Samsung curved ultrawide

The prefix "monitor" ensures the API understands you're looking specifically for computer monitors and not other displays.

Complete Example: Making a Request

Here's how to make a request to The Product API with a monitor-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=monitor%20Dell%20UltraSharp%2027&with_image=true', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    custom_data_schema: {
      type: "object",
      properties: {
        screen_size: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Screen size in inches"
        },
        resolution: {
          type: "string",
          enum: ["1080p Full HD", "1440p QHD", "4K UHD", "5K", "8K UHD", "Ultrawide"],
          description: "Display resolution"
        },
        panel_type: {
          type: "string",
          enum: ["IPS", "VA", "TN", "OLED", "Mini LED"],
          description: "Panel technology type"
        },
        refresh_rate: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Refresh rate in Hz"
        },
        response_time: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Response time in milliseconds"
        },
        aspect_ratio: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Aspect ratio"
        },
        curved: {
          type: "boolean",
          description: "Curved display"
        },
        hdr_support: {
          type: "array",
          items: { type: "string" },
          description: "HDR formats supported"
        },
        connectivity: {
          type: "array",
          items: { type: "string" },
          description: "Connectivity options"
        },
        usb_ports: {
          type: "number",
          description: "Number of USB ports"
        },
        usb_c_power_delivery: {
          type: "boolean",
          description: "USB-C Power Delivery support"
        },
        built_in_speakers: {
          type: "boolean",
          description: "Built-in speakers"
        },
        webcam: {
          type: "boolean",
          description: "Built-in webcam"
        },
        adjustability: {
          type: "array",
          items: { type: "string" },
          description: "Adjustability features"
        },
        vesa_mount: {
          type: "boolean",
          description: "VESA mount compatibility"
        },
        gaming_features: {
          type: "array",
          items: { type: "string" },
          description: "Gaming features"
        },
        color_gamut: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Color gamut coverage"
        },
        brightness: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Brightness in nits"
        },
        contrast_ratio: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Contrast ratio"
        },
        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"
        },
        price_range: {
          type: "string",
          description: "Price range category"
        }
      },
      required: ["screen_size", "resolution", "panel_type"]
    }
  })
});

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": "Dell UltraSharp U2720Q 27-Inch 4K Monitor",
      "description": "The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q features 4K UHD resolution...",
      "brand": "Dell",
      "image": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
      "custom_data": {
        "screen_size": "27",
        "resolution": "4K UHD",
        "panel_type": "IPS",
        "refresh_rate": "60Hz",
        "response_time": "5ms",
        "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
        "curved": false,
        "hdr_support": ["HDR10", "DisplayHDR 400"],
        "connectivity": ["HDMI", "DisplayPort", "USB-C"],
        "usb_ports": 3,
        "usb_c_power_delivery": true,
        "built_in_speakers": false,
        "webcam": false,
        "adjustability": ["height", "tilt", "swivel", "pivot"],
        "vesa_mount": true,
        "gaming_features": [],
        "color_gamut": "99% sRGB, 95% DCI-P3",
        "brightness": "350 nits",
        "contrast_ratio": "1000:1",
        "width": "24.1 inches",
        "height": "14.2 inches",
        "depth": "7.3 inches",
        "weight": "12.3 lbs",
        "price_range": "premium"
      }
    }
  ]
}
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Conclusion

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

1. Define your schema based on what monitor 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 TVs, laptops, keyboards, and more!