diff --git a/WEB-INF/classes/ApplicationResources.properties b/WEB-INF/classes/ApplicationResources.properties
index 9cd433b0..0afca4c9 100755
--- a/WEB-INF/classes/ApplicationResources.properties
+++ b/WEB-INF/classes/ApplicationResources.properties
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ search.specimenlocality.madants=country='madagascar'
 site.plaziFilesURL=http://plazi.cs.umb.edu/exist/rest/db/taxonx_docs
 site.plaziDescriptionRoot=http://plazi.cs.umb.edu/exist/rest/db/taxonx_docs/getSPM.xq?render=xhtml&description=broad&associations=no&doc=
 
+# can be be path relative to root (/v3.1), or entire url (http://api.antweb.org)
+# If relative path is provided, it is appended to the domainApp
+site.apiUrl=/v3.1
+
 #These relative should be in ApplicationResources.properties because they do not change
 
 # In site.docroot: maybe /usr/local/tomcat/webapps/antweb/
diff --git a/src/org/calacademy/antweb/util/AntwebProps.java b/src/org/calacademy/antweb/util/AntwebProps.java
index 32f01f05..4c4647f7 100755
--- a/src/org/calacademy/antweb/util/AntwebProps.java
+++ b/src/org/calacademy/antweb/util/AntwebProps.java
@@ -275,6 +275,7 @@ public static String getDomain() {
     
     public static String s_domainApp = null;
     public static String s_secureDomainApp = null;
+    public static String s_apiUrl = null;
 
     public static String getInsecureDomainApp() {
         String domain = AntwebProps.getProp("site.domain");
@@ -365,6 +366,35 @@ public static String getSecureDomainApp() {
         return domainApp;    
     } 
         
+    /**
+     * Get the url for the API.
+     * <p>
+     * Can either be a path from the domain, like: site.apiUrl=/v3.1
+     * or a complete url, like: site.apiUrl=api.antweb.org
+     */
+    public static String getApiUrl() {
+
+        if (s_apiUrl != null) return s_apiUrl;
+
+        String apiUrl = AntwebProps.getProp("site.apiUrl");
+
+        if (apiUrl == null) {
+            A.log("site.apiUrl was null!");
+            s_apiUrl = "https://antweb.org/v3.1";
+            return s_apiUrl;
+        }
+
+        if (apiUrl.startsWith("/")) {
+            s_apiUrl = getDomainApp() + apiUrl;
+        } else if (apiUrl.startsWith("http")) {
+            s_apiUrl = apiUrl;
+        }
+
+        A.log("getApiUrl() apiDomainApp:" + s_apiUrl);
+
+        return s_apiUrl;
+    }
+        
         
 	public static String getGoogleEarthURI() {
 	    if (true) return "googleEarth.do";
diff --git a/web/documentation/api/apiV3_1-body.jsp b/web/documentation/api/apiV3_1-body.jsp
index eb6e9382..071ee7a4 100755
--- a/web/documentation/api/apiV3_1-body.jsp
+++ b/web/documentation/api/apiV3_1-body.jsp
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@
 <% 
   //String apiDomainApp  = "http://api.antweb.org/v3.1";
   //String apiDomainApp = "https://10.2.22.30/v3.1";
-  String apiDomainApp = "https://antweb.org/v3.1";
-  
+//  String apiDomainApp = "https://antweb.org/v3.1";
+  String apiDomainApp = AntwebProps.getApiUrl();
+
   if (AntwebProps.isDevMode()) {
     apiDomainApp = "http://localhost:5000";  
   }