# Get simple list of devices via API
**URL:** https://forum.genieacs.com/t/get-simple-list-of-devices-via-api/95
**Category:** Uncategorized
**Created:** [May 6, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://forum.genieacs.com/t/get-simple-list-of-devices-via-api/95 "2019-05-06T19:53:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@genie-dave](https://forum.genieacs.com/u/genie-dave)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://forum.genieacs.com/t/get-simple-list-of-devices-via-api/95/1 "2019-05-06T19:53:29Z")
Hi, When using the API is there a way to return just a list of devices or other parameters without getting the entire database.
For example,
curl -i ‘[http://localhost:7557/devices/](http://localhost:7557/devices/)’
seems to return the entire database but I’m looking to just return a simple list of every “\_id” or a list of just every “InternetGatewayDevice.DeviceInfo.SerialNumber”.
I know I can parse all the returned JSON data and create the simple list but I’m trying to avoid collecting so much unnecessary data.
Thanks,
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### Author:  [@encarta](https://forum.genieacs.com/u/encarta)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2019, 12:27am UTC](https://forum.genieacs.com/t/get-simple-list-of-devices-via-api/95/2 "2019-05-10T00:27:51Z")
include projection in your query. API will send only parameters those are included in the projection
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### Author:  [@genie-dave](https://forum.genieacs.com/u/genie-dave)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2019, 1:38pm UTC](https://forum.genieacs.com/t/get-simple-list-of-devices-via-api/95/3 "2019-05-10T13:38:15Z")
Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.