Pick a route, finish one small working loop, and build from there. You can start in a browser today; hardware and AI tools are optional next steps.
Choose your route
Learn first
Understand requests, responses, JSON and authentication without buying hardware.
Build something
Connect a Raspberry Pi, sensor or dashboard and follow a tested project from setup to result.
Connect an agent
Use MCP tools for research and drafts, with read-only discovery and explicit approval gates.
A guided learning sequence
If APIs are new to you, follow these guides in order. Each one answers a single question and gives you a practical next step. You do not need to read everything before trying the next exercise.
1. Build the mental model
- What Is an API? A Practical Beginner’s Guide — understand the client, server and request-response loop.
- What Is an API Endpoint? — learn how a URL identifies a resource and operation.
- What Is JSON? — read the data format used by most modern APIs.
2. Make and understand requests
- HTTP Methods Explained — choose between GET, POST, PATCH and DELETE.
- Make Your First API Request with curl — run a real request from a terminal.
- HTTP Status Codes Explained — tell success, client errors and server errors apart.
3. Turn it into a project
- REST API Authentication and Common Errors — handle credentials without leaking them.
- What Is an API in Python? — repeat the request in code.
- Collection Endpoint vs Static Payload — choose a data shape that can grow.
After the fundamentals
Once you can make a request, read JSON and diagnose a response, choose the direction that matches your goal:
- Want a visual result? Follow Build Your First Meow Meow Scratch Dashboard.
- Want physical input? Follow Build a Raspberry Pi Weather Sensor Dashboard or set up Raspberry Pi Wi-Fi and SSH.
- Want a complete project? Start with Build Your First Connected Project, then browse the example projects.
- Want an AI-assisted workflow? Read Connect an AI Agent with MCP and begin with read-only tools.
A practical four-session plan
| Session | Focus | Done when… |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | API, endpoint and JSON fundamentals | You can explain what a request is and identify its endpoint. |
| 2 | curl, methods and status codes | You can make a request and explain the response. |
| 3 | Authentication and Python | You can repeat the request in code without exposing credentials. |
| 4 | Dashboard, Raspberry Pi or MCP route | You have one useful result that you can reproduce. |
Your first working milestone
Complete one small request loop before adding complexity:
- Create a private Weather Station app and a Readings collection.
- Write one valid temperature value.
- Read it back and confirm the success response.
- Only then add Python, a dashboard, hardware or an agent.
What you need
- A Meow Meow Scratch account and modern browser.
curlfor the first API exercise.- Python 3.8+ only for the SDK route.
- Raspberry Pi hardware only for hardware routes.
How to use this site
The Meow Meow Scratch documentation is the canonical reference for current product behaviour. These guides add tested walkthroughs, project context, troubleshooting and practical hardware notes. If a guide and the current documentation disagree, check the documented software version before continuing.
Ready? Start the API tutorial, then return here when your first value reads back successfully.