How to format URL with query parameters for IGDB API? - php

Question

here is the documentation for the database I'm trying to use: https://www.igdb.com/api/v1/documentation
I requested a token from them and it was granted.
This URL works for me (I've written "redacted" in): https://www.igdb.com/api/v1/games?token=redacted
and it returns the following:
{"games":[{"id":1,"name":"Thief II: The Metal Age","slug":"thief-ii-the-metal-age","release_date":"2000-03-21","alternative_name":null},{"id":2,"name":"Thief: The Dark Project","slug":"thief-the-dark-project","release_date":"1998-11-30","alternative_name":null},{"id":3,"name":"Thief: Deadly Shadows","slug":"thief-deadly-shadows","release_date":"2004-05-25","alternative_name":null},{"id":4,"name":"Thief","slug":"thief","release_date":"2014-02-25","alternative_name":"Thief 4"},{"id":5,"name":"Baldur's Gate","slug":"baldur-s-gate","release_date":"1998-11-30","alternative_name":null},{"id":6,"name":"Baldur's Gate II: Shadows Of Amn","slug":"baldur-s-gate-ii-shadows-of-amn","release_date":"2000-09-24","alternative_name":null},{"id":7,"name":"Jagged Alliance","slug":"jagged-alliance","release_date":"1994-06-02","alternative_name":null},{"id":8,"name":"Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games","slug":"jagged-alliance-deadly-games","release_date":"1995-01-01","alternative_name":null},{"id":9,"name":"Jagged Alliance 2","slug":"jagged-alliance-2","release_date":"1999-07-23","alternative_name":null},{"id":10,"name":"Jade Empire: Special Edition","slug":"jade-empire-special-edition","release_date":"2005-04-12","alternative_name":null},{"id":11,"name":"Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines","slug":"vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines","release_date":"2004-11-16","alternative_name":null},{"id":12,"name":"Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption","slug":"vampire-the-masquerade-redemption","release_date":"2000-06-07","alternative_name":null},{"id":13,"name":"Fallout","slug":"fallout","release_date":"1997-09-30","alternative_name":null},{"id":14,"name":"Fallout 2","slug":"fallout-2","release_date":"1998-09-30","alternative_name":null},{"id":15,"name":"Fallout 3","slug":"fallout-3","release_date":"2008-10-28","alternative_name":null},{"id":16,"name":"Fallout: New Vegas","slug":"fallout-new-vegas","release_date":"2010-10-19","alternative_name":null},{"id":17,"name":"Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood Of Steel","slug":"fallout-tactics-brotherhood-of-steel","release_date":"2001-03-15","alternative_name":null},{"id":18,"name":"Max Payne","slug":"max-payne","release_date":"2001-07-23","alternative_name":null},{"id":19,"name":"Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne","slug":"max-payne-2-the-fall-of-max-payne","release_date":"2003-10-24","alternative_name":null},{"id":20,"name":"BioShock","slug":"bioshock","release_date":"2007-08-21","alternative_name":null},{"id":21,"name":"BioShock 2","slug":"bioshock-2","release_date":"2010-02-09","alternative_name":null},{"id":22,"name":"System Shock 2","slug":"system-shock-2","release_date":"1999-08-11","alternative_name":null},{"id":23,"name":"System Shock","slug":"system-shock","release_date":"1994-09-22","alternative_name":null},{"id":24,"name":"UFO: Enemy Unknown","slug":"ufo-enemy-unknown--1","release_date":"1994-01-01","alternative_name":null},{"id":25,"name":"X-COM: Terror From The Deep","slug":"x-com-terror-from-the-deep","release_date":"1995-01-01","alternative_name":null}]}
What I'm trying to do is figure out how to search by title. For example, if I wanted only games that have the term "Zelda" in it, how would I format the URL properly?
I've tried:
https://www.igdb.com/api/v1/games&q=zelda?token=redacted
which returns "forbidden".
I've also tried
https://www.igdb.com/api/v1/games?token=redacted&q=zelda
which returns that same exact list of games above, as if completely unaffected by the "Zelda" term.
Can anyone give advice on how to properly format this URL for performing a search based on Game Title? Thank you!

Answer 1

The first query parameter should be passed with a "?" and the following ones each with "&".
The documentation of the API says that you should query /games/search instead of /games directly. Please try this.