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API Terms of Service

Ice9.ai

Last Updated: February 25, 2026

These API Terms of Service ("API Terms") supplement and are incorporated into the Ice9.ai Terms of Service ("General Terms"). These API Terms apply specifically to your use of the Ice9.ai API. In the event of any conflict between these API Terms and the General Terms, these API Terms shall control with respect to API usage.

1. API Access and Authentication

1.1 API Keys

Upon registration for API access, you will be issued one or more API keys. API keys are confidential credentials that authenticate your access to the API.

1.2 API Key Security Requirements

You must: - Store API keys securely using industry-standard secret management practices - Never expose API keys in client-side code, public repositories, or version control systems - Use environment variables or secure credential storage systems - Rotate API keys at least every 90 days for production use - Implement IP allowlisting where possible - Use separate API keys for development, staging, and production environments

1.3 API Key Compromise

If you suspect your API key has been compromised: - Revoke the compromised key immediately through your account dashboard - Generate a new API key - Notify us at security@ice9.ai within 24 hours - Review API access logs for unauthorized usage

1.4 Unauthorized Use

You are responsible for all API calls made using your API keys, including unauthorized use. We reserve the right to charge you for all API usage associated with your API keys, even if such usage was unauthorized.

2. API Usage and Rate Limits

2.1 Rate Limits

The API is subject to rate limits to ensure fair usage and system stability. Current rate limits are:

Free Demo: - 10 requests per hour - 100 requests per day - 1 concurrent request

Paid Tiers: Rate limits vary by plan and are documented at https://ice9.ai/docs/rate-limits. Typical paid tier limits: - Starter: 100 requests per minute, 10,000 requests per day - Professional: 500 requests per minute, 100,000 requests per day - Enterprise: Custom limits negotiated

2.2 Rate Limit Headers

The API returns rate limit information in response headers:

X-RateLimit-Limit: 100
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 95
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1677649200

2.3 Rate Limit Exceeded

When you exceed rate limits, the API will return: - HTTP Status Code: 429 Too Many Requests - Retry-After header indicating when to retry - Error message in JSON format

You must implement exponential backoff and respect Retry-After headers. Persistent abuse of rate limits may result in temporary or permanent API suspension.

2.4 Burst Allowance

Paid tiers include a burst allowance that permits brief spikes above the standard rate limit. Sustained high usage beyond your plan's limits may result in throttling.

2.5 Fair Use

While there is no hard cap on total monthly requests for paid plans, we reserve the right to investigate and potentially restrict usage that we determine to be abusive or inconsistent with normal use patterns.

3. API Pricing and Billing

3.1 Per-Image Pricing

The API operates on a per-image pricing model. You are charged for each image analysis request that successfully processes.

3.2 No Charge for:

3.3 Charged Operations

You are charged for: - Each successful image analysis request (HTTP 200 responses with analysis data) - Requests that fail due to prohibited content (after processing) - Duplicate analysis of the same image (we do not deduplicate identical images)

3.4 Pricing Tiers

Current pricing is available at https://ice9.ai/pricing. Example pricing structure: - First 1,000 images/month: $0.05 per image - Next 9,000 images/month: $0.03 per image - Next 90,000 images/month: $0.02 per image - Over 100,000 images/month: Contact for enterprise pricing

3.5 Price Changes

We may change pricing with 30 days' advance notice to existing customers. Notice will be sent to your registered email address. If you do not agree to the new pricing, you may terminate your account before the effective date.

3.6 Billing Cycle

API usage is billed monthly in arrears. Invoices are generated on the first day of each month for the previous month's usage.

3.7 Payment Terms

Payment is due within 15 days of invoice date. Overdue payments may result in: - API access suspension after 15 days - Account termination after 30 days - Late fees of 1.5% per month on overdue balances

3.8 Billing Disputes

If you dispute a charge, you must notify us within 30 days of the invoice date. We will investigate and respond within 15 business days.

3.9 Usage Monitoring

You can monitor your API usage and costs in real-time through your account dashboard at https://ice9.ai/dashboard.

4. Technical Requirements and Best Practices

4.1 Request Format

All API requests must: - Use HTTPS (HTTP is not supported) - Include a valid Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY> header - Use Content-Type: application/json for JSON payloads or multipart/form-data for image uploads - Include a User-Agent header identifying your application

4.2 Image Requirements

Images submitted to the API must meet the following requirements: - File formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF (first frame only), BMP, TIFF - Maximum file size: 20 MB per image - Maximum dimensions: 8192 x 8192 pixels - Minimum dimensions: 32 x 32 pixels - Color space: RGB or grayscale - Encoding: Valid image encoding (corrupted images will be rejected)

4.3 Request Timeout

API requests will timeout after 60 seconds. Ensure your client has appropriate timeout settings.

4.4 Retry Logic

Implement exponential backoff for retry logic:

Initial retry: 1 second
Second retry: 2 seconds
Third retry: 4 seconds
Max retries: 3

Only retry on: - HTTP 5xx errors (server errors) - HTTP 429 (rate limit exceeded, respecting Retry-After header) - Network timeouts or connection errors

Do NOT retry on: - HTTP 4xx errors (client errors, except 429) - HTTP 401 (unauthorized - check your API key) - HTTP 400 (bad request - fix your request)

4.5 Error Handling

The API returns structured error responses:

{
  "error": {
    "code": "invalid_image_format",
    "message": "The uploaded file is not a valid image format",
    "details": "Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, TIFF",
    "request_id": "req_abc123xyz"
  }
}

Include the request_id when contacting support about errors.

4.6 Idempotency

Image analysis requests are NOT idempotent. Submitting the same image multiple times will result in multiple analysis operations and charges. Implement client-side caching or deduplication if needed.

4.7 Async Processing (Future)

For large batches, we may introduce asynchronous processing. Check the API documentation for updates.

5. API Capabilities and Limitations

5.1 Analysis Features

The API provides: - Object detection and localization (bounding boxes) - Image classification and labeling - Scene understanding - Content moderation (nudity detection via NudeNet) - Multi-model consensus results - Confidence scores for predictions

5.2 What the API Does NOT Do

5.3 Accuracy and Confidence Scores

5.4 Content Moderation Accuracy

Content moderation (NudeNet) has known limitations: - False positives: May flag art, medical images, or swimwear - False negatives: May miss certain types of inappropriate content - Not 100% reliable for safety-critical applications - Designed as a tool to assist human review, not replace it

6. Commercial Use License

6.1 Commercial Use Permitted

The API is licensed for commercial use. You may: - Integrate the API into commercial applications - Use analysis results in products you sell - Provide services to your customers using the API - Use the API for internal business purposes

6.2 Restrictions on Commercial Use

You may NOT: - Resell raw API access to third parties (white-labeling) - Reverse engineer the Service to create competing services - Use the API to train competing AI models - Sublicense the API to third parties

Exception: You may integrate the API into your own applications and services that you provide to your customers, provided those services add substantial value beyond raw API access.

6.3 Attribution

While not required, we appreciate attribution when you use the API in public-facing applications. Suggested attribution: "Powered by Ice9.ai" with a link to https://ice9.ai.

7. API Changes and Versioning

7.1 API Versioning

The API uses semantic versioning. Current version: v1

API endpoints include the version: https://api.ice9.ai/v1/analyze

7.2 Breaking Changes

We will not introduce breaking changes to the current API version. Breaking changes will be introduced in new API versions (v2, v3, etc.).

7.3 Deprecation Policy

When deprecating an API version: - Minimum 12 months' notice before deprecation - Email notification to all active API users - Documentation updates - Migration guide provided

7.4 Non-Breaking Changes

We may make non-breaking changes without notice, including: - Adding new API endpoints - Adding new optional request parameters - Adding new fields to API responses - Improving performance or accuracy - Bug fixes

7.5 Changelog

API changes are documented at https://ice9.ai/changelog. We recommend subscribing to changelog notifications.

8. Service Level and Support

8.1 Uptime Target

We target 99.9% uptime for the API (excluding scheduled maintenance). This is a target, not a guarantee, for standard paid plans.

8.2 Scheduled Maintenance

Scheduled maintenance will be announced at least 48 hours in advance via: - Email notification - Status page (status.ice9.ai) - API response headers (when maintenance is imminent)

8.3 Incident Response

In the event of an outage: - Status updates posted to status.ice9.ai - Incident resolution updates every 2 hours during business hours - Postmortem published within 5 business days

8.4 Support Tiers

Free Demo: - Community support (forum) - Email support (best effort, 5 business day response)

Paid Plans: - Email support (support@ice9.ai) - Response times: 24 hours for Starter, 8 hours for Professional - Ticket tracking system

Enterprise: - Dedicated support contact - Custom SLA available - Phone support option - Priority issue resolution

8.5 Support Scope

Support covers: - API integration questions - Error troubleshooting - Billing inquiries - Account management

Support does NOT cover: - Custom application development - Writing code for your integration - General AI/ML consulting

9. Enterprise Terms

9.1 Enterprise Agreements

Enterprise customers may negotiate custom terms including: - Custom rate limits and burst capacity - Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with uptime guarantees - Volume discounts - Dedicated infrastructure - Custom deployment options - Priority support - Custom contract terms

Contact sales@ice9.ai for enterprise pricing and terms.

9.2 SLA Credits

Enterprise customers with SLA agreements may be eligible for service credits if uptime SLAs are not met, as specified in their contract.

10. API Data and Privacy

10.1 Data Processing Agreement (DPA)

Enterprise customers may request a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) for GDPR compliance. Contact legal@ice9.ai.

10.2 Data Residency

Standard API processing occurs in US-based data centers. Enterprise customers may request data residency in specific regions (subject to availability and additional fees).

10.3 Data Retention for API Customers

10.4 Data Deletion Requests

You may request deletion of analysis results via: - API endpoint: DELETE /v1/results/<result_id> - Bulk deletion: Contact support@ice9.ai - Account deletion: Contact privacy@ice9.ai (deletes all data)

11. Compliance and Certifications

11.1 Security Standards

We maintain security controls consistent with: - SOC 2 Type II (in progress, expected Q2 2026) - GDPR requirements - CCPA requirements

11.2 Compliance Audits

Enterprise customers may request compliance documentation including: - Security whitepaper - SOC 2 report (when available) - Penetration test summaries - Compliance questionnaires

11.3 Your Compliance Obligations

You are responsible for ensuring your use of the API complies with: - GDPR (if processing EU personal data) - CCPA (if processing California resident data) - BIPA (Illinois biometric privacy law, if applicable) - HIPAA (the API is NOT HIPAA-compliant and should not be used with PHI) - Industry-specific regulations applicable to your business

12. Prohibited API Uses

In addition to the General Terms, API-specific prohibited uses include:

12.1 Technical Abuse

12.2 Data Mining

12.3 Surveillance and Privacy Violations

12.4 Discriminatory Use

13. API Termination and Suspension

13.1 Suspension

We may suspend your API access immediately without notice if: - Payment is more than 15 days overdue - We detect violations of these Terms - We detect unusual activity suggesting account compromise - Required to comply with legal obligations

13.2 Termination by Us

We may terminate your API access with 30 days' notice, or immediately for: - Material breach of these Terms - Fraudulent activity - Violation of laws - Abuse or misuse of the Service

13.3 Termination by You

You may terminate your API access at any time by: - Canceling your subscription through the dashboard - Contacting support@ice9.ai - Deleting your account

13.4 Effect of Termination

Upon termination: - Your API keys will be revoked immediately - You will be billed for usage through the termination date - You will retain access to your analysis results for 30 days for download - Analysis results will be deleted after 30 days unless you request earlier deletion or extended retention

14. API Warranties and Disclaimers

14.1 API Availability

We do not warrant that the API will be available 100% of the time or that it will be error-free. The API is provided "as is" and "as available."

14.2 Result Accuracy

We do not warrant that analysis results will be accurate, complete, or suitable for your particular purpose. You must validate results for your use case.

14.3 Third-Party Models

While we use multiple AI models to improve accuracy, we do not guarantee the behavior or accuracy of any specific model or version.

14.4 API Changes

We do not warrant that the API will remain unchanged or that features will always be available.

15. API Liability Limitations

In addition to the liability limitations in the General Terms:

15.1 API Downtime

We are not liable for losses resulting from API downtime, errors, or reduced performance except as specified in enterprise SLA agreements.

15.2 Result Accuracy

We are not liable for decisions made based on API analysis results or for losses resulting from inaccurate or incomplete results.

15.3 Third-Party Claims

We are not liable for third-party claims arising from your use of the API, including claims related to privacy, intellectual property, or discrimination.

15.4 Integration Issues

We are not liable for issues arising from your integration of the API into your applications or services.

16. Contact Information

For API-specific inquiries:

Technical Support: support@ice9.ai
API Issues: api-support@ice9.ai
Security: security@ice9.ai
Sales (Enterprise): sales@ice9.ai
Legal: legal@ice9.ai

Documentation: https://ice9.ai/docs
API Status: https://status.ice9.ai
Developer Forum: https://community.ice9.ai

By using the Ice9.ai API, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these API Terms of Service and the General Terms of Service.

Last Updated: February 25, 2026