# Data APIs Overview

> Use Alchemy Data to build and scale your business

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](/docs/llms.txt).

The Data APIs give you fast, reliable access to blockchain data without running your own indexing infrastructure. Whether you're building wallets, NFT platforms, analytics dashboards, or DeFi apps, the Data APIs save you time and engineering costs by offering pre-transformed, production-ready data.

## Components of the Data APIs

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Portfolio API" icon="chart-pie" href="/docs/reference/portfolio-apis">
    Build a complete portfolio view of a user’s wallet, across tokens and NFTs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Token API" icon="coins" href="/docs/reference/token-api-quickstart">
    Request information about specific tokens like metadata or wallet balances.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Transfers API" icon="arrow-right-arrow-left" href="/docs/reference/transfers-api-quickstart">
    Fetch historical transactions for any address in one request.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Prices API" icon="chart-line" href="/docs/reference/prices-api-quickstart">
    Access real-time and historical prices for tokens.
  </Card>

  <Card title="NFT API" icon="image" href="/docs/reference/nft-api-quickstart">
    Instantly find, verify, and display any NFT, across all major blockchains.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Webhooks" icon="bell" href="/docs/reference/notify-api-quickstart">
    Subscribe to onchain events like transfers, transactions, and balance changes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Simulation API" icon="flask" href="/docs/reference/simulation">
    Simulate a transaction and see its potential effects before you send it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Utility API" icon="screwdriver-wrench" href="/docs/reference/utility-api-overview">
    Enhanced APIs to get blocks by timestamp and transaction receipts.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## When should you use the Data APIs?

Use the Data APIs if:

* You need pre-indexed blockchain data without running your own nodes or infrastructure.
* You want to read user portfolios, token balances, transfer history, or NFT data.
* You're sending transactions and **not** using Alchemy's Smart Wallets.
  * If you are using our wallets, check out the Wallet APIs, which supports:
    * `sendUserOp`
    * `estimateUserOpGas`
    * and more account abstraction features
* You want to simulate or estimate transaction outcomes before sending them.
* You need to track wallet or contract activity with push notifications via webhooks.

***

## Data APIs use cases

### 1. Developer tooling and debugging

Perfect for advanced dev environments, simulation dashboards, and infra teams.

* Use endpoints like:
  * `debug_traceTransaction`
  * `debug_getRawTrace`

### 2. Help your users *write* transactions

Ideal for apps that generate transactions on behalf of your users.

**Common use cases:**

* ERC-20 swaps
* NFT purchases and listings
* Wallets that send tokens or interact with contracts
* Portfolio apps that need to simulate or batch transactions

### 3. Help your users *read* transactions

**Common use cases:**

* Wallets and portfolio trackers

* Token/NFT ownership queries

* Historical transfers and analytics dashboards

* Price feeds and onchain trends

* Pre-indexed data to power all your frontend and backend logic

* Use endpoints like:
  * `getNftsForOwner` - Retrieves all NFTs currently owned by a specified address.
  * `alchemy_getTokenBalances` - Returns ERC-20 token balances for a given address.
  * `alchemy_getAssetTransfers` - Fetches historical transactions for any address across Ethereum and supported L2s including Polygon, Arbitrum, and Optimism.

***

## Summary

The Data APIs do the heavy lifting so you can focus on your product.

We're not just a data provider -- we're the infra layer behind the biggest names in web3. Alchemy is set apart by:

* **Battle-tested scale**: powering millions of wallets, swaps, and NFT marketplaces — from Fortune 500s to weekend and hackathon builders.
* **Multi-chain support**: Ethereum, Base, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, and dozens of other chains supported out of the box.

***

## Quick reference

### Token, NFT, and Prices APIs

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Token API" icon="coins" href="/docs/reference/token-api-quickstart">
    **Ideal for:** Multi-chain token experiences, balance indexing
    
    **How it works:** Call an API to return multi-chain and complete token data
  </Card>

  <Card title="NFT API" icon="image" href="/docs/reference/nft-api-quickstart">
    **Ideal for:** NFT drops, token gating, analytics, wallets, marketplaces

    **How it works:** Call an API to return multi-chain and complete NFT data
  </Card>

  <Card title="Prices API" icon="chart-line" href="/docs/reference/prices-api-quickstart">
    **Ideal for:** Multi-chain token experiences, trading apps, wallets

    **How it works:** Call an API to return multi-chain and complete token prices data
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Webhooks

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Webhooks" icon="bell" href="/docs/reference/notify-api-quickstart">
    **Ideal for:** Push notifications, wallets, consumer facing apps
    
    **How it works:** Define your webhook and start receiving relevant events
  </Card>

  <Card title="Custom Webhooks" icon="code" href="/docs/reference/custom-webhooks-quickstart">
    **Ideal for:** Infinite customization, specific data needs, multi-chain apps
    
    **How it works:** Customize your event to your exact needs and immediately receive them
  </Card>
</CardGroup>