Mikrotik Api Examples -
The MikroTik RouterOS API is a powerful tool for network administrators who need to go beyond manual configuration. It allows for seamless automation, custom monitoring, and the integration of MikroTik hardware into larger software ecosystems. By using the API, you can treat your router as a programmable object rather than just a standalone appliance.
Here are three common ways to use the MikroTik API, ranging from basic monitoring to advanced automation. 1. Real-Time Resource Monitoring (Python)
One of the most common uses for the API is fetching system health data to feed into a dashboard or an alerting system. Using a library like RouterOS-api , you can quickly pull CPU and memory stats. routeros_api connection = routeros_api.RouterOsApiPool( 192.168.88.1 , username= , password= = connection.get_api() # Get system resources = api.get_resource( /system/resource = resource.get()
print( Free Memory: {int(data[ free-memory )
connection.disconnect() Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard 2. Dynamic User Management (PHP)
For ISPs or managed service providers, the API is essential for automating user access. This example shows how you might programmatically add a new user to a Hotspot or a PPPoE service via a web portal. // Using a standard PHP client library '192.168.88.1' 'password' ]);
$client->query([ '/ip/hotspot/user/add' '=name=new_customer' '=password=securepass123' '=profile=default' '=comment=Added via Web Portal' ])->read(); Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard 3. Bulk Configuration Updates (Node.js)
If you manage dozens of routers, logging into each one to update a firewall rule is inefficient. The API allows you to push configuration changes across your entire fleet simultaneously. javascript RouterOSClient = 'routeros-client' ).RouterOSClient; updateFirewall() { RouterOSClient( host: '192.168.88.1' , password: 'password' api.connect(); // Block a specific IP address conn.write( '/ip/firewall/filter/add' '=chain=forward' '=action=drop' '=src-address=10.0.0.50' '=comment=Automated block' ]); mikrotik api examples
conn.close();
Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Why use the API instead of SSH/CLI? While SSH scripting is popular, the API provides structured data
Reviewing MikroTik API examples reveals a shift from a complex, proprietary protocol to a modern REST API introduced in RouterOS v7. While the older "binary" API is still supported for its performance, the REST API is now the preferred entry point for most developers due to its use of standard JSON and HTTP methods. 1. Modern REST API (RouterOS v7+)
The REST API is highly rated for its simplicity, as it eliminates the need for specialized client libraries for many tasks.
Key Benefit: You can use standard tools like curl, Postman, or any language with an HTTP library.
Syntax: It maps directly to CLI commands. For example, /ip/address/print in the CLI becomes a GET request to /rest/ip/address.
Capabilities: Supports standard GET (read), PATCH (update), PUT (create), and DELETE (remove) methods.
Limitations: Users have noted that some advanced filtering (using the .query syntax) can be "tricky" compared to standard REST implementations. 2. Legacy "Binary" API
This is the original low-level socket-based communication method. API - RouterOS - MikroTik Documentation - Support Service The MikroTik RouterOS API is a powerful tool
Harnessing the MikroTik RouterOS API: Integration and Automation
The MikroTik RouterOS API is a powerful gateway for network administrators seeking to transcend manual configuration. By allowing external software to communicate directly with RouterOS, the API enables sophisticated automation, custom monitoring dashboards, and seamless integration with third-party billing or management systems. Enabling the Gateway
Before any interaction can occur, the API service must be active on the device. By default, MikroTik listens on Port 8728 for standard API traffic and Port 8729 for encrypted API-SSL traffic. You can enable these services via the terminal or Winbox: Standard API: /ip service enable api Encrypted API (Recommended): /ip service enable api-ssl
For security, it is critical to restrict access using an Access Control List (ACL) to ensure only authorized management IPs can reach these ports. Practical Implementation Examples
The API operates on a sentence-based protocol where commands and arguments are sent as a series of strings. Here are common use cases and their conceptual command structures:
System Monitoring: Fetching real-time resource data like CPU load or uptime. Command: /system/resource/getall
User Management: Automating the creation of Hotspot users or PPPoE accounts for ISP billing platforms. Command: /ip/hotspot/user/add =name=User1 =password=Pass123
Interface Control: Programmatically enabling or disabling specific ports or wireless radios. Command: /interface/set =.id=ether1 =disabled=yes
Firewall Orchestration: Dynamically updating address lists to block malicious IPs detected by an external security engine. For ISPs or managed service providers, the API
Command: /ip/firewall/address-list/add =list=Blacklist =address=192.168.1.50 Integration Libraries
While you can write a raw socket client, most developers use mature libraries to handle the protocol's "length-byte" encoding. Popular options include:
Python: The RouterOS-api or librouteros packages are widely used for scripting and integration with web frameworks.
PHP: Essential for web-based ISP portals and user self-service dashboards.
Node.js: Ideal for real-time monitoring applications requiring high concurrency.
By leveraging the MikroTik API, administrators shift from being manual operators to architects of self-sustaining, intelligent network environments. Mikrotik - Home Assistant
Here’s a practical guide to working with the MikroTik API, including common examples in Python and bash. The API uses plain text commands over TCP port 8728 (or 8729 for SSL).
Save to file
with open('router_config.rsc', 'w') as f: f.write(config_text)
3. Common API Examples
6) Error handling & best practices
- Check HTTP status codes for REST; check API replies for "ret" or "done" fields.
- Use least-privileged API user; restrict by address and firewall.
- Use HTTPS and strong passwords or client certs if supported.
- Rate-limit and implement retries with backoff for network errors.
- Prefer REST on RouterOS v7+ for simplicity; use binary API when low-level features or existing libraries required.
Add static DHCP lease
api('/ip/dhcp-server/lease/add', 'address': '192.168.88.50', 'mac-address': '00:11:22:33:44:55', 'server': 'dhcp1', 'comment': 'Printer' )