diff --git a/includes/class-peptide-news-rest-api.php b/includes/class-peptide-news-rest-api.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21ba616
--- /dev/null
+++ b/includes/class-peptide-news-rest-api.php
@@ -0,0 +1,234 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * REST API endpoints for external analytics access.
+ *
+ * Base route: /wp-json/peptide-news/v1/
+ *
+ * Endpoints:
+ *   GET /articles         — list stored articles
+ *   GET /analytics/top    — top articles by clicks
+ *   GET /analytics/trends — daily click trend data
+ *   GET /analytics/topics — popular topics/categories
+ *   GET /analytics/devices — device breakdown
+ *   GET /analytics/sources — source performance
+ *   GET /analytics/export  — CSV export of raw click data
+ *
+ * @since 1.0.0
+ */
+class Peptide_News_Rest_API {
+
+    const API_NAMESPACE = 'peptide-news/v1';
+
+    /**
+     * Register REST routes.
+     */
+    public function register_routes() {
+
+        // Public: list articles.
+        register_rest_route( self::API_NAMESPACE, '/articles', array(
+            'methods'             => 'GET',
+            'callback'            => array( $this, 'get_articles' ),
+            'permission_callback' => '__return_true',
+            'args'                => array(
+                'count' => array(
+                    'default'           => 10,
+                    'sanitize_callback' => 'absint',
+                ),
+                'page'  => array(
+                    'default'           => 1,
+                    'sanitize_callback' => 'absint',
+                ),
+            ),
+        ) );
+
+        // Admin-only analytics endpoints.
+        $analytics_routes = array(
+            '/analytics/top'     => 'get_top_articles',
+            '/analytics/trends'  => 'get_trends',
+            '/analytics/topics'  => 'get_topics',
+            '/analytics/devices' => 'get_devices',
+            '/analytics/sources' => 'get_sources',
+            '/analytics/export'  => 'get_export',
+        );
+
+        foreach( #$analytics_routes as $route => $callback ) {
+            register_rest_route( self::API_NAMESPACE, $route, array(
+                'methods'             => 'GET',
+                'callback'            => array( $this, $callback ),
+                'permission_callback' => array( $this, 'check_admin_permissions' ),
+                'args'                => $this->get_date_range_args(),
+            ) );
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Verify the request comes from an admin user.
+     *
+     * @param WP_REST_Request $request
+     * @return bool|WP_Error
+     */
+    public function check_admin_permissions( $request ) {
+        if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
+            return new WP_Error(
+                'rest_forbidden',
+                __( 'You do not have permission to access analytics data.', 'peptide-news' ),
+                array( 'status' => 403 )
+            );
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Common date-range argument definitions.
+     *
+     * @return array
+     */
+    private function get_date_range_args() {
+        return array(
+            'start_date' => array(
+                'default'            => gmdate( 'Y-m-d', strtotime( '-30 days' ) ),
+                'sanitize_callback'  => 'sanitize_text_field',
+                'validate_callback'  => array( $this, 'validate_date_format' ),
+            ),
+            'end_date' => array(
+                'default'            => gmdate( 'Y-m-d' ),
+                'sanitize_callback'  => 'sanitize_text_field',
+                'validate_callback'  => array( $this, 'validate_date_format' ),
+            ),
+            'limit' => array(
+                'default'           => 20,
+                'sanitize_callback' => 'absint',
+            ),
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Validate that a parameter is a Y-m-d date string.
+     *
+     * @param string          $value
+     * @param WP_REST_Request $request
+     * @param string          $param
+     * @return true|WP_Error
+     */
+    public function validate_date_format( $value, $request, $param ) {
+        if ( ! preg_match( '/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/', $value ) ) {
+            return new WP_Error(
+                'rest_invalid_date',
+                sprintf( __( 'Invalid date format for %s. Expected Y-m-d.', 'peptide-news' ), $param ),
+                array( 'status' => 400 )
+            );
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * GET /articles
+     */
+    public function get_articles( $request ) {
+        global $wpdb;
+
+        $count  = min( $request->get_param( 'count' ), 100 );
+        $page   = max( $request->get_param( 'page' ), 1 );
+        $offset = ( $page - 1 ) * $count;
+        $table  = $wpdb->prefix . 'peptide_news_articles';
+
+        $articles = $wpdb->get_results( $wpdb->prepare(
+            "SELECT id, source, source_url, title, excerpt, author, thumbnail_url,
+                    published_at, categories, tags
+             FROM {$table}
+             WHERE is_active = 1
+             ORDER BY published_at DESC
+             LIMIT %d OFFSET %d",
+             $count,
+             $offset
+        ) );
+ 
+        $total = $wpdb->get_var( "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {$table} WHERE is_active = 1" );
+
+        return rest_ensure_response( array(
+            'articles'    => $articles,
+            'total'       => (int) $total,
+            'page'        => $page,
+            'per_page'    => $count,
+            'total_pages' => ceil( $total / $count ),
+        ) );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * GET /analytics/top
+     */
+    public function get_top_articles( $request ) {
+        $data = Peptide_News_Analytics::get_top_articles(
+            $request->get_param( 'start_date' ),
+            $request->get_param( 'end_date' ),
+            $request->get_param( 'limit' )
+        );
+        return rest_ensure_response( $data );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * GET /analytics/trends
+     */
+    public function get_trends( $request ) {
+        $data = Peptide_News_Analytics::get_click_trends(
+            $request->get_param( 'start_date' ),
+            $request->get_param( 'end_date' )
+        );
+        return rest_ensure_response( $data );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * GET /analytics/topics
+     */
+    public function get_topics( $request ) {
+        $data = Peptide_News_Analytics::get_popular_topics(
+            $request->get_param( 'start_date' ),
+            $request->get_param( 'end_date' ),
+            $request->get_param( 'limit' )
+        );
+        return rest_ensure_response( $data );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * GET /analytics/devices
+     */
+    public function get_devices( $request ) {
+        $data = Peptide_News_Analytics::get_device_breakdown(
+            $request->get_param( 'start_date' ),
+            $request->get_param( 'end_date' )
+        );
+        return rest_ensure_response( $data );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * GET /analytics/sources
+     */
+    public function get_sources( $request ) {
+        $data = Peptide_News_Analytics::get_source_performance(
+            $request->get_param( 'start_date' ),
+            $request->get_param( 'end_date' )
+        );
+        return rest_ensure_response( $data );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * GET /analytics/export — returns CSV download.
+     */
+    public function get_export( $request ) {
+        $data = Peptide_News_Analytics::export_clicks_csv(
+            $request->get_param( 'start_date' ),
+            $request->get_param( 'end_date' )
+        );
+
+        if ( empty( $data ) ) {
+            return rest_ensure_response( array( 'message' => 'No data for the selected period.' ) );
+        }
+
+        // Return as JSON (client can convert to CSV).
+        return rest_ensure_response( array(
+            'headers' => array_keys( $data[0] ),
+            'rows'    => $data,
+            'count'   => count( $data ),
+        ) );
+    }
+}