Apple CloudKit

aid: cloudkit
name: Apple CloudKit
description: >-
  Apple CloudKit is the cloud backend for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS,
  watchOS, visionOS, and the web. CloudKit Web Services is the public REST
  surface that lets non-Apple-platform clients (web apps, servers) read
  and write data into a CloudKit container's public, private, or shared
  database. The web service is hosted at api.apple-cloudkit.com and accepts
  either an API token (for end-user-authenticated access) or a server-to-
  server ECDSA key for backend access. Operations cover records,
  zones, subscriptions, assets, users, and database changes.
type: Index
image: https://kinlane-productions.s3.amazonaws.com/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/cloudkit/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
created: '2024-01-01'
modified: '2026-04-25'
specificationVersion: '0.19'
kind: company
tags:
  - Apple
  - Cloud Storage
  - CloudKit
  - Database
  - iCloud
  - Mobile
  - Sync
  - Web Services
apis:
  - aid: cloudkit:web-services
    name: CloudKit Web Services
    tags:
      - REST
      - Records
      - Zones
      - Subscriptions
    image: https://kinlane-productions.s3.amazonaws.com/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
    baseURL: https://api.apple-cloudkit.com/database/1
    humanURL: https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/DataManagement/Conceptual/CloudKitWebServicesReference/index.html
    properties:
      - url: https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/DataManagement/Conceptual/CloudKitWebServicesReference/index.html
        type: Documentation
      - url: https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/DataManagement/Conceptual/CloudKitWebServicesReference/SettingUpWebServices.html
        type: Setup
      - url: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/cloudkit/obtaining-an-api-token-for-an-icloud-container
        type: API Tokens
    description: >-
      The CloudKit Web Services REST API is structured as
      /database/1/{container}/{environment}/{database}/{operation}, where
      database is one of public, private, or shared and environment is
      development or production. Operations include records lookup, query,
      modify, delete, zone create/list/delete, subscription
      create/list/delete, asset upload, user info and changes. Calls are
      authenticated using an API token for user-authenticated access (with
      ckWebAuthToken) or a server-to-server ECDSA key for backend access.
  - aid: cloudkit:js
    name: CloudKit JS
    tags:
      - JavaScript
      - SDK
      - Web
    image: https://kinlane-productions.s3.amazonaws.com/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
    humanURL: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/cloudkitjs
    properties:
      - url: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/cloudkitjs
        type: Documentation
    description: >-
      CloudKit JS is Apple's JavaScript SDK that wraps the CloudKit Web
      Services REST API for browser apps. It provides Sign in with Apple
      authentication, container/database/zone access, queries, record
      operations, subscriptions, and asset management.
  - aid: cloudkit:framework
    name: CloudKit Framework
    tags:
      - SDK
      - Apple Platforms
    image: https://kinlane-productions.s3.amazonaws.com/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
    humanURL: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/cloudkit
    properties:
      - url: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/cloudkit
        type: Documentation
    description: >-
      The native CloudKit framework for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS,
      and visionOS. Provides programmatic access to CloudKit containers,
      records, zones, subscriptions, and sharing. Out of band of the web
      services REST surface but shares the same data model.
common:
  - type: Website
    url: https://www.icloud.com/
  - type: Developer
    url: https://developer.apple.com/icloud/cloudkit/
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/cloudkit
  - type: Console
    url: https://icloud.developer.apple.com/dashboard/
  - type: PrivacyPolicy
    url: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/
  - type: JSONLD
    url: json-ld/cloudkit-context.jsonld
  - type: Spectral
    url: rules/cloudkit-rules.yml
  - type: Naftiko Capabilities
    url: capabilities/cloudkit-records.yaml
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: [email protected]