How to Use APIs in Python Beginner Tutorial with Cat Facts (No API Key Required!)

🚀 Ready to start using APIs in Python? In this beginner-friendly tutorial, you’ll learn how to fetch real data from the web using just a few lines of code—no API key required!

We’ll build a simple, fun project that pulls random cat facts from a public API. 🐱 Along the way, you’ll learn the basics of requests, JSON formatting, and how to adapt this same approach to other APIs.

Whether you're brand new to Python or just looking for a quick project, this one is for you.

🔹 What You’ll Learn:
✅ What an API is and why it's useful
✅ How to use the requests library to fetch data
✅ How to read and print JSON from an API response
✅ How to work with APIs that require authentication

🔹 Who is this for?
✅ Beginners learning Python and automation
✅ Students working on quick coding projects
✅ Anyone curious about APIs, JSON, and real-time data

🔥 Get the code and project files here:

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⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 - What We’re Building
00:17 - Setting Up our Project
00:56 - How to Make a Request in Python
02:01 - Working with JSON Responses
03:45 - Bonus: Jokes API Example
06:09 - API Keys & How to Use Them
07:09 - Final Thoughts & What’s Next

import requests

print("Random Cat Fact:")
print(data["fact"])