diff --git a/tildes/openapi_beta.yaml b/tildes/openapi_beta.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a6d3a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tildes/openapi_beta.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,282 @@
+openapi: 3.0.0
+info:
+  title: Tildes Beta API Schema
+  version: Beta
+  description: |
+    This is the OpenAPI schema for the Tildes Beta API.
+    The beta API is subject to change and may not be fully stable.
+    Future updates WILL include breaking changes.
+    Use at your own risk.
+servers:
+  - url: /api/beta
+paths:
+  /topics:
+    get:
+      summary: Get a list of topics
+      parameters:
+        - $ref: '#/components/parameters/paginationLimit'
+        - $ref: '#/components/parameters/paginationBefore'
+        - $ref: '#/components/parameters/paginationAfter'
+        - in: query
+          name: period
+          schema:
+            type: string
+            default: "all"
+          required: false
+          description: The time period for which to retrieve topics. For example 4h" or "2d".
+        - in: query
+          name: tag
+          schema:
+            type: string
+          required: false
+          description: The tag to filter topics by. If not specified, topics are not filtered on their tags.
+        - in: query
+          name: order
+          schema:
+            type: string
+            default: "activity"
+            enum: ["activity", "votes", "comments", "new", "all_activity"]
+          required: false
+          description: The sort order for the topics. Defaults to "activity".
+      responses:
+        "200":
+          description: A list of topics
+          content:
+            application/json:
+              schema:
+                type: object
+                required:
+                  - topics
+                  - pagination
+                properties:
+                  topics:
+                    type: array
+                    items:
+                      $ref: '#/components/schemas/Topic'
+                  pagination:
+                    $ref: '#/components/schemas/Pagination'
+        "400":
+          $ref: "#/components/responses/ValidationError"
+
+
+components:
+  parameters:
+      paginationBefore:
+        in: query
+        name: before
+        schema:
+          type: string
+        required: false
+        description: The ID36 of the first item from the previous page, to get items before it. You can only specify either `before` or `after`, not both.
+      
+      paginationAfter:
+        in: query
+        name: after
+        schema:
+          type: string
+        required: false
+        description: The ID36 of the last item from the previous page, to get items after it. You can only specify either `before` or `after`, not both.
+      
+      paginationLimit:
+        in: query
+        name: limit
+        schema:
+          type: integer
+          minimum: 1
+          maximum: 100
+          default: 50
+        required: false
+        description: The maximum number of items to return. The `limit` is itself limited to prevent abuse.
+
+  responses:
+    ValidationError:
+      description: OpenAPI request/response validation failed
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            type: array
+            items:
+              $ref: "#/components/schemas/Error"
+
+  schemas:
+    Topic:
+      type: object
+      required:
+        - id
+        - title
+        - text_html
+        - url
+        - comments_url
+        - group
+        - content_metadata
+        - created_at
+        - posted_by_user
+        - vote_count
+        - comment_count
+        - new_comment_count
+        - voted
+        - bookmarked
+        - ignored
+        - official
+        - tags
+      properties:
+        id:
+          type: integer
+        title:
+          type: string
+        text_html:
+          type: string
+          nullable: true
+        url:
+          type: string
+          nullable: true
+        comments_url:
+          type: string
+        source_site_name:
+          type: string
+          nullable: true
+        source_site_icon:
+          type: string
+          nullable: true
+        group:
+          type: string
+        content_metadata:
+          type: array
+          items:
+            type: string
+        created_at:
+          type: string
+        posted_by_user:
+          type: string
+        vote_count:
+          type: integer
+        comment_count:
+          type: integer
+        new_comment_count:
+          type: integer
+          nullable: true
+        voted:
+          type: boolean
+          nullable: true
+        bookmarked:
+          type: boolean
+          nullable: true
+        ignored:
+          type: boolean
+          nullable: true
+        official:
+          type: boolean
+        tags:
+          type: array
+          items:
+            type: string
+
+    Comment:
+      type: object
+      required:
+        - id
+        - depth
+        - author
+        - group
+        - topic_id
+        - voted
+        - can_vote
+        - can_label
+        - can_edit
+        - can_reply
+        - body_html
+        - votes
+        - posted_datetime
+        - posted_datetime_abbreviated
+        - deleted
+        - removed
+        - collapsed
+        - collapsed_individual
+        - exemplary
+        - exemplary_reasons
+        - user_labels
+        - is_new
+        - is_by_op
+      properties:
+        id:
+          type: string
+        depth:
+          type: integer
+        author:
+          type: string
+        parent_author:
+          type: string
+          nullable: true
+        group:
+          type: string
+        topic_id:
+          type: string
+        voted:
+          type: boolean
+        can_vote:
+          type: boolean
+        can_label:
+          type: boolean
+        can_edit:
+          type: boolean
+        can_reply:
+          type: boolean
+        body_html:
+          type: string
+        votes:
+          type: integer
+        posted_datetime:
+          type: string
+        posted_datetime_abbreviated:
+          type: string
+        deleted:
+          type: boolean
+        removed:
+          type: boolean
+        collapsed:
+          type: boolean
+        collapsed_individual:
+          type: boolean
+        exemplary:
+          type: boolean
+        exemplary_reasons:
+          type: array
+          items:
+            type: string
+        user_labels:
+          type: array
+          items:
+            type: string
+        is_new:
+          type: boolean
+        is_by_op:
+          type: boolean
+
+    Pagination:
+      type: object
+      required:
+        - num_items
+        - next_link
+        - prev_link
+      properties:
+        num_items:
+          type: integer
+          description: The number of items returned in this response.
+        next_link:
+          type: string
+          nullable: true
+        prev_link:
+          type: string
+          nullable: true
+
+    Error:
+      type: object
+      required:
+        - message
+      properties:
+        field:
+          type: string
+        message:
+          type: string
+        exception:
+          type: string
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/__init__.py b/tildes/tildes/__init__.py
index 58e626f..7f9a6e7 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/__init__.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/__init__.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ def main(global_config: dict[str, str], **settings: str) -> PrefixMiddleware:
     config.include("cornice")
     config.include("pyramid_session_redis")
     config.include("pyramid_webassets")
+    config.include("pyramid_openapi3")
 
     # include database first so the session and querying are available
     config.include("tildes.database")
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/routes.py b/tildes/tildes/routes.py
index bd8b8f4..9593fa1 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/routes.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/routes.py
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ def includeme(config: Configurator) -> None:
         config.add_route("shortener_group", "/~{path}", factory=group_by_path)
         config.add_route("shortener_topic", "/{topic_id36}", factory=topic_by_id36)
 
+    # Routes for the JSON API
+    # We also provide a path for the full spec and the built-in swagger UI explorer
+    config.pyramid_openapi3_spec('openapi_beta.yaml', route='/api/beta/openapi.yaml')
+    config.pyramid_openapi3_add_explorer(route='/api/beta/ui')
+
 
 def add_intercooler_routes(config: Configurator) -> None:
     """Set up all routes for the (internal-use) Intercooler API endpoints."""