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Last updated: 10 Jul 2025

content-store: Content Store API

Content items

ContentItem is the base unit of content in the content store. They have both a private and public-facing JSON representation.

Writing content items to the content store

Content is written by the Publishing API, which is used by back-end publishing apps such as Travel Advice Publisher.

Within our infrastructure, to add or update a piece of content in the content store, make a PUT request:

curl http://content-store/content<base_path> -X PUT \
    -H 'Content-type: application/json' \
    -d '<content_item_json>'

where <base_path> is the path on GOV.UK where the content lives (for example /vat-rates) and <content_item_json> is the JSON for the content item.

Reading content from the content store

Content is retrieved using the content endpoint, which takes a path and responds with a JSON representation of the content that should be displayed on that path.

This API is used by front-end apps but is also exposed externally at https://www.gov.uk/api/content/<path>, such as https://www.gov.uk/api/content/take-pet-abroad. When used by the public, this is known as 'Content API' and has its own documentation.

Within our infrastructure, to retrieve content from the Content Store, make a GET request:

  curl http://content-store/content<path>

If the path matches a base_path content will be returned, whereas if the path matches a route a 303 redirect will be returned to the content at the base_path.

Not all content exists as a standalone page like the /take-pet-abroad example. Some content exists as a collection that references other pieces of content, and some content exists as meta content designed to describe a wider whole. We use content-schemas defined in Publishing API to describe all these different content types. The Content API itself is not prescriptive about this; it takes any JSON structure.