The [endpoint](00001012920000) to work with metadata and content of a specific zettel is `/z/{ID}`, where `{ID}` is a placeholder for the [zettel identifier](00001006050000).

For example, to retrieve some data about this zettel you are currently viewing, just send an HTTP GET request to the endpoint `/z/00001012053300`.

    # curl 'http://127.0.0.1:23123/z/00001012053300'
    The [[endpoint|00001012920000]] to work with metadata and content of a specific zettel is ''/z/{ID}'', where ''{ID}'' is a placeholder for the [[zettel identifier|00001006050000]].
    For example, to retrieve some data about this zettel you are currently viewing, just send an HTTP GET request to the endpoint ''/z/00001012053300''[^If [[authentication is enabled|00001010040100]], you must include a valid [[access token|00001012050200]] in the ''Authorization'' header].
    ```sh
    ...

Optionally, you may provide which parts of the zettel you are requesting.
In this case, add an additional query parameter `part=PART`.
Valid values for [`PART`](00001012920800) are “zettel”, “[meta](00001012053400)”, and “content” (the default value).

    # curl 'http://127.0.0.1:23123/z/00001012053300?part=zettel'
    title: API: Retrieve metadata and content of an existing zettel
    role: manual
    tags: #api #manual #zettelstore
    syntax: zmk
    The [[endpoint|00001012920000]] to work with metadata and content of a specific zettel is ''/z/{ID}'', where ''{ID}'' is a placeholder for the [[zettel identifier|00001006050000]].
    For example, to retrieve some data about this zettel you are currently viewing, just send an HTTP GET request to the endpoint
    ...

# Data output

Alternatively, you may retrieve the zettel as a parseable object / a [symbolic expression](00001012930500) by providing the query parameter `enc=data`:

    # curl 'http://127.0.0.1:23123/z/00001012053300?enc=data&part=zettel'
    (zettel (meta (back "00001006000000 00001012000000") (backward "00001006000000 00001012000000 00001012920000") (box-name "manual") (created "20211004093206") (forward "00001006050000 00001010040100 00001012050200 00001012053400 00001012920000 00001012920800 00001012921200 00001012930500") (modified "20260710143436") (published "20260710143436") (role "manual") (syntax "zmk") (tags "#api #manual #zettelstore") (title "API: Retrieve metadata and content of an existing zettel")) (rights create read update delete) (content "" "The [[endpoint|00001012920000]] to work with metadata and content of a specific zettel is ''/z/{ID}'', where ''{ID}'' is a placeholder for the [[zettel identifier|00001006050000]].\n\nFor example, ...

If you print the result a little bit nicer, you will see its structure:

    (zettel
        (meta
            (back "00001006000000 00001012000000")
            (backward "00001006000000 00001012000000 00001012920000")
            (box-name "manual")
            (created "20211004093206")
            (forward "00001006050000 00001010040100 00001012050200 00001012053400 00001012920000 00001012920800 00001012921200 00001012930500")
            (modified "20260710143436")
            (published "20260710143436")
            (role "manual")
            (syntax "zmk")
            (tags "#api #manual #zettelstore")
            (title "API: Retrieve metadata and content of an existing zettel"))
        (rights create read update delete)
        (content "" "The [[endpoint|00001012920000]] to work with metadata and content of a specific zettel is ''/z/{ID}'', where ''{ID}'' is a placeholder for the [[zettel identifier|00001006050000]].\n\nFor example, ...

* The result is a list whose first element is the symbol `zettel`.
* The remaining elements are nested key/value pairs.
* The `meta` list contains the metadata as key/value pairs.
* `rights` specifies the user's [access rights](00001012921200) for this zettel.
* The symbol `content` is followed by two string values: the encoding and the zettel content.
  The encoding may be one of:
    * `""`: the content is stored as plain text.
    * `"base64"`: the content is encoded using the [standard Base64 encoding](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4648.txt).

If you omit the query parameter `part`, or set it to `content`, the response contains only the `content` list:

    # curl 'http://127.0.0.1:23123/z/00001012053300?enc=data&part=content'
    (content "" "The [[endpoint|00001012920000]] to work with metadata and content of a specific zettel is ''/z/{ID}'', where ''{ID}'' is a placeholder for the [[zettel identifier|00001006050000]].\n\nFor example, ...

# HTTP Status codes