---
title: "DevPlace REST: Notification Feed and Unread Counts"
description: "Reading the notification feed with cursor pagination, the unread-count endpoint that backs the navigation badges, and the mark-read actions, including per-type coverage and JSON payload shapes."
language: null
framework: null
category: api_design
tags:
  - devplace
  - api
  - http-api
  - notifications
  - rest
  - pagination
  - unread-counts
  - json-api
keywords:
  - devplace GET /notifications json
  - devplace unread notification count endpoint
  - devplace mark notifications read api
last_updated: 2026-08-12
difficulty: beginner
version: "DevPlace (devplace.net), documented 2026-08"
related:
  - rest_web_push.md
  - conventions_and_errors.md
  - authentication.md
  - README.md
search_priority: normal
status: published
---

# DevPlace REST: Notification Feed and Unread Counts

Read your notification feed and mark items read. The unread counts endpoint backs the badges
in the navigation bar. Deliver these to the browser with [Web Push](rest_web_push.md).

Every endpoint follows the shared [Conventions & Errors](conventions_and_errors.md) (auth, content
negotiation, pagination, status codes); see [Authentication](authentication.md) for the
four ways to sign requests.

## `GET /notifications` - View notifications

Render your notifications. Returns an HTML page.

*Minimal role:* Member

**Parameters**

| Name | In | Type | Required | Description |
|------|----|------|----------|-------------|
| `before` | query | string | no | Pagination cursor. |

**Sample response**

```json
{
  "notification_groups": [
    {
      "label": "string",
      "entries": [
        {
          "notification": {
            "uid": "UID",
            "type": "string",
            "message": "string",
            "read": false,
            "related_uid": "UID",
            "target_url": "/path",
            "created_at": "2026-01-01T00:00:00+00:00"
          },
          "actor": {
            "uid": "UID",
            "username": "username",
            "avatar_seed": "string",
            "bio": "text",
            "location": "string",
            "git_link": "string",
            "website": "string",
            "level": 0,
            "xp": 0,
            "xp_progress_pct": 0,
            "xp_next_level": 0,
            "stars": 0,
            "created_at": "2026-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
            "last_seen": "string"
          },
          "time_ago": "2 hours ago"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "next_cursor": "2026-01-01T00:00:00+00:00"
}
```

## `GET /notifications/counts` - Unread counts

Unread notification and message counts.

*Minimal role:* Public

> Guests receive `{ "notifications": 0, "messages": 0 }` instead of an error, so the navigation badge works before login.

**Sample response**

```json
{
  "notifications": 2,
  "messages": 1
}
```

## `GET /notifications/open/{notification_uid}` - Open a notification

Mark a notification read and redirect to its target.

*Minimal role:* Member

**Parameters**

| Name | In | Type | Required | Description |
|------|----|------|----------|-------------|
| `notification_uid` | path | string | yes | UID of the notification. |

**Sample response**

```json
{
  "ok": true,
  "redirect": "/posts/POST_SLUG#comment-COMMENT_UID",
  "data": null
}
```

## `POST /notifications/mark-read/{notification_uid}` - Mark one read

Mark a single notification as read.

*Minimal role:* Member

**Parameters**

| Name | In | Type | Required | Description |
|------|----|------|----------|-------------|
| `notification_uid` | path | string | yes | UID of the notification. |

**Sample response**

```json
{
  "ok": true,
  "redirect": "/notifications",
  "data": null
}
```

## `POST /notifications/mark-all-read` - Mark all read

Mark every notification as read.

*Minimal role:* Member

**Sample response**

```json
{
  "ok": true,
  "redirect": "/notifications",
  "data": null
}
```