Watchboard Intelligence Dashboards
Query structured intelligence data from watchboard.dev — 51+ trackers covering conflicts, politics, culture, science, and space with AI-curated daily updates and source tiers.
Zero dependencies — stdlib only (urllib, json). Works on any machine with Python 3.8+.
API
Public JSON API at https://watchboard.dev/api/v1/. No API key needed. CORS enabled. Data cached 1h server-side.
| Endpoint | Returns |
|---|---|
/api/v1/trackers.json |
Directory of all trackers with metadata |
/api/v1/trackers/{slug}.json |
Full tracker: config, meta, KPIs, digest, recent events |
/api/v1/breaking.json |
Trackers with active breaking news |
/api/v1/kpis/{slug}.json |
Just KPIs for a tracker |
/api/v1/events/{slug}.json |
Last 30 events for a tracker |
/api/v1/search-index.json |
All event titles for client-side search |
CLI
Run python3 scripts/watchboard.py <command>:
| Command | Use | Token cost |
|---|---|---|
list [--domain X] [--status X] |
Show all trackers (dynamic from API) | Low |
summary <slug> |
Meta + latest digest + top KPIs | Low (~2-3KB) |
breaking |
All trackers with breaking news | Low-Medium |
events <slug> [--limit N] |
Recent events (last 30) | Medium |
kpis <slug> |
All KPIs with contested notes | Medium |
search <query> [--tracker slug] |
Search events across all/one tracker | Medium |
detail <slug> |
Full tracker data (all sections) | Medium-High |
rss <slug> |
RSS feed (fallback) | Low |
Add --json to any command for raw JSON output (useful for programmatic processing).
Examples
# Quick briefing on Iran conflict
python3 scripts/watchboard.py summary iran-conflict
# What's breaking right now?
python3 scripts/watchboard.py breaking
# Casualty figures and key metrics
python3 scripts/watchboard.py kpis ukraine-war
# Find events mentioning "ceasefire"
python3 scripts/watchboard.py search ceasefire
# Events in Gaza, last 10
python3 scripts/watchboard.py events gaza-war --limit 10
# All conflict trackers
python3 scripts/watchboard.py list --domain conflict
# Full detail with raw JSON
python3 scripts/watchboard.py --json detail iran-conflict
Strategy
- Quick briefing →
summary <slug>— meta + digest + top KPIs in one call - What's happening now? →
breaking— all trackers with active developments - Specific data (casualties, oil prices, KPIs) →
kpis <slug>with contested notes - Recent events →
events <slug>— last 30 events with sources and types - Find specific events →
search "keyword"across all trackers, or--tracker slugto narrow - Deep dive →
detail <slug>— everything in one call (config, meta, KPIs, digest, events) - RSS fallback →
rss <slug>— if JSON API is unavailable
Data quality
Every data point has a source tier:
- Tier 1: Official/primary sources (Pentagon, CENTCOM, government statements)
- Tier 2: Major news outlets (Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera, NPR)
- Tier 3: Academic/analytical sources
- Tier 4: Unverified/social media
KPIs include contested flags with detailed notes showing conflicting claims from different sources.
Caching
Results cached 1h locally in /tmp/watchboard-cache/. Server data updates 1-4 times daily (nightly digest at ~6 AM UTC, breaking events throughout the day).
Tracker discovery
The tracker list is dynamic — fetched from the API at runtime, not hardcoded. Currently 51+ trackers across domains:
- conflict: iran-conflict, gaza-war, ukraine-war, sudan-conflict, etc.
- governance: sheinbaum-presidency, amlo-presidency, trump-presidencies, etc.
- culture: bad-bunny, bts, world-cup-2026
- space: artemis-2, spacex-history
- human-rights: ayotzinapa, ice-history
- science: quantum-theory, covid-pandemic
- historical: world-war-2, september-11, tlatelolco-1968
Use list to see the current full directory. Use list --domain conflict to filter.