Popular shows API/website mismatch

Trakt Questions & Help
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1

Hi,

I have noticed that the data returned by the popular shows endpoint of the API does not match what is shown on the website.

For reference, these are the current top 5 popular shows on the website:

  1. Game of Thrones
  2. Breaking Bad
  3. The Walking Dead
  4. Stranger Things
  5. The Big Bang Theory.

And these are the top 5 popular shows returned by the API:

  1. Adolescence
  2. MobLand
  3. Alien: Earth
  4. The Pitt
  5. Daredevil: Born Again.

Could anyone confirm whether this difference is expected or if there might be a synchronization issue between the API and the website?

Thanks!

Website ( Trakt Web: Popular Shows )

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API

[
    {
        "title": "Adolescence",
        "year": 2025,
        "rating": 7.65547,
        "votes": 11317,
        ...
    },
    {
        "title": "MobLand",
        "year": 2025,
        "rating": 8.35413,
        "votes": 5210,
        ...
    },
    {
        "title": "Alien: Earth",
        "year": 2025,
        "rating": 7.45969,
        "votes": 4999,
        ...
    },
    {
        "title": "The Pitt",
        "year": 2025,
        "rating": 8.71043,
        "votes": 4037,
        ...
    },
    {
        "title": "Daredevil: Born Again",
        "year": 2025,
        "rating": 7.75194,
        "votes": 4261,
        ...
    }
]
2

I have done some further testing and I have noticed that the API response seems to be filtering results to titles released in 2025 (even though the years filter is not being used in the request). The data returned by the following requests is exactly the same:

This endpoint used to return data from multiple years by default. I have tested the trending and anticipated endpoints and both of them still do.

Is this the expected new behavior for the popular shows endpoint or could there be an issue affecting it right now?

4

Hey,

You are right, this is a rather new behavior (not days-recent tho :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:) at the API level.

By default that endpoint will return fresher content. Not as fresh as the trending endpoint, but more than what the old behavior was giving (it didn’t change much).

If you want the old behavior or if you want to extend the popularity window, you can use the filters like this:

  • https://api.trakt.tv/shows/popular?years=1970-2025 → should give you the same as the website
  • https://api.trakt.tv/shows/popular?years=2015-2025 → popular this decade

HTH

5

Thanks for the clarification and for confirming this is a newer, intended behavior of the API. It had been a bit over a month since I last used it, so I couldn’t quite pinpoint when this change took place :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

And thanks for the suggestions as well! It really helps a lot to know that the old behavior can still be achieved via filters.