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POST/v1/call/zhihu.column_articles

Zhihu column articles API

Only on Zhihu.

The Zhihu column articles API returns a page of the articles in a Zhihu column by the column's ID: title, text, author, time published, upvotes, comment count. One call costs 2 credits ($0.004 to $0.0067 depending on the pack); failed calls are free. Call it over HTTP or from your AI client over MCP. Last tested 2026-10-17.

Start for freeSign in to run
100 credits on sign-up, no card needed
2 creditsper call
Up to 20 per pageone page per call
2026-10-17last tested
1.1 KBsample response, 1 item

Last updated:

Request and response

curl https://api.socialtoai.com/v1/call/zhihu.column_articles \  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SOCIALTOAI_KEY" \  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \  -d '{    "id": "intelligentunit"  }'
import osimport requestsresponse = requests.post(    "https://api.socialtoai.com/v1/call/zhihu.column_articles",    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['SOCIALTOAI_KEY']}"},    json={        "id": "intelligentunit",    },)print(response.json())
# Connected over MCP? Ask in plain words.Use the Zhihu column articles interface (zhihu.column_articles) with id: intelligentunit.# Your AI calls the call tool with:{  "id": "intelligentunit"}
Sign in to run2 creditsOpens in the Playground with these parameters after you sign in. It never runs by itself.
200 OK1.1 KB2 credits
{  "op": "zhihu.column_articles",  "platform": "zhihu",  "status": "ok",  "items": [    {      "platform": "zhihu",      "id": "…",      "ref": "…",      "approx": [],      "type": "content",      "url": "https://example.com/…",      "format": "article",      "title": "…",      "text": "…",      "published_at": "2023-05-08T13:04:12.000Z",      "author": {        "id": "…",        "username": "…",        "name": "…",        "verified": null,        "followers": null      },      "metrics": {        "likes": 40,        "comments": 1,        "shares": null,        "collects": null,        "views": null,        "reposts": null      },      "images": null,      "hashtags": null,      "is_pinned": null    }  ],  "unavailable": ["author.verified", "author.followers", "metrics.shares", "metrics.collects", "metrics.views", "metrics.reposts", "images", "hashtags", "is_pinned"],  "page": {    "has_more": true,    "cursor": "cur_…",    "cursor_expires_at": "2026-10-12T22:24:00.000Z"  },  "cost_credits": 2}
@…·
likes 40comments 1shares nullcollects nullviews null

Names and text were removed from the sample; the numbers are as recorded.

Sample data1 of the 20 items recorded

2 parameters.
1 required.

Send them as a JSON body with POST. Your key goes in the Authorization header, never in the URL.

NameTypeRequiredDefaultDescription
idstringRequired—Column ID: the last part of the column's address, the word after zhuanlan.zhihu.com/ or the one that starts with c_
cursorstringOptional—Pass page.cursor from the last response to get the next page.

Where to get what you send.

id

Column ID: the last part of the column's address, the word after zhuanlan.zhihu.com/ or the one that starts with c_ (e.g. intelligentunit)

No other interface of the platform returns it: take it from the web page or link as described above.

The fields of each item.
What Zhihu cannot give is marked.

FieldTypeMeaning
items[].urlstringA link that opens the item.
items[].formatstringvideo, image, text or article.
items[].titlestringThe title.
items[].textstringThe body text or caption.
items[].published_atstringWhen it was published, ISO 8601 in UTC.
items[].author.idstringThe author's account ID.
items[].author.usernamestringThe author's handle.
items[].author.namestringThe author's display name.
items[].author.verifiedbooleanalways nullWhether the author is verified.
items[].author.followersintegeralways nullThe author's follower count.
items[].metrics.likesintegerLikes.
items[].metrics.commentsintegerComments.
items[].metrics.sharesintegeralways nullShares.
items[].metrics.collectsintegeralways nullSaves.
items[].metrics.viewsintegeralways nullViews or plays.
items[].metrics.repostsintegeralways nullReposts.
items[].imagesstring[]always nullImage addresses.
items[].hashtagsstring[]always nullHashtags, without the #.
items[].is_pinnedbooleanalways nullWhether the author pinned it.
nullFields Zhihu cannot give

Read null as “Zhihu did not give this”, not as zero. These are always null on this call:

  • author.verifiedWhether the author is verified.
  • author.followersThe author's follower count.
  • metrics.sharesShares.
  • metrics.collectsSaves.
  • metrics.viewsViews or plays.
  • metrics.repostsReposts.
  • imagesImage addresses.
  • hashtagsHashtags, without the #.
  • is_pinnedWhether the author pinned it.

Every item also has platform, id, ref, approx and type; the response around the items is the same on every call. Response format

What to expect.

One call returns a page of up to 20 items. When page.has_more is true, send page.cursor back as cursor for the next page; each page costs 2 credits and a cursor works for 30 minutes.
A call that runs and finds nothing is a successful call: status is "empty", items is empty, and it costs 2 credits.

1 call per second per key, 5 after a purchase; going over is not charged. Rate limits

A failed call costs 0 credits and is never retried on its own. Error codes

Once connected over MCP, these questions use it.

  1. Get a page of the articles in a Zhihu column by the column's ID: intelligentunit.
    call {"op":"zhihu.column_articles","id":"intelligentunit"}
    2 credits

Questions.
Short answers.

Everything on Zhihu
Do I need a Zhihu account or Zhihu's own API access?
No. You only need a SocialToAI key. The call returns content and account information publicly visible on Zhihu; you never sign in to Zhihu or apply for anything there.

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