diff --git a/cmd/api/api.go b/cmd/api/api.go
index cae531a..1e01309 100644
--- a/cmd/api/api.go
+++ b/cmd/api/api.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gitlink-org/gitlink-cli/cmd/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/gitlink-org/gitlink-cli/internal/client"
+	repocontext "github.com/gitlink-org/gitlink-cli/internal/context"
 	"github.com/gitlink-org/gitlink-cli/internal/i18n"
 	"github.com/gitlink-org/gitlink-cli/internal/output"
 )
@@ -73,6 +74,11 @@ func runAPI(c *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		path = "/" + path
 	}
 
+	path, err := resolvePathPlaceholders(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	cli, err := client.New()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -107,6 +113,27 @@ func runAPI(c *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	return output.Print(env, resolveFormat())
 }
 
+// resolvePathPlaceholders substitutes :owner/:repo (and {{owner}}/{{repo}})
+// segments in a single-call path with the global --owner/--repo flags or the
+// values auto-resolved from the current git remote, matching the help-text
+// examples. Paths without placeholders are returned unchanged.
+func resolvePathPlaceholders(path string) (string, error) {
+	hasColon := strings.Contains(path, "/:owner") || strings.Contains(path, "/:repo")
+	hasBrace := strings.Contains(path, "{{owner}}") || strings.Contains(path, "{{repo}}")
+	if !hasColon && !hasBrace {
+		return path, nil
+	}
+	owner, repo, err := repocontext.ResolveOwnerRepo(cmdutil.Owner, cmdutil.Repo)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("path contains :owner/:repo placeholders: %w", err)
+	}
+	path = strings.ReplaceAll(path, "/:owner", "/"+owner)
+	path = strings.ReplaceAll(path, "/:repo", "/"+repo)
+	path = strings.ReplaceAll(path, "{{owner}}", owner)
+	path = strings.ReplaceAll(path, "{{repo}}", repo)
+	return path, nil
+}
+
 func readJSONBody(c *cobra.Command) (interface{}, error) {
 	bodyStr, _ := c.Flags().GetString("body")
 	bodyFile, _ := c.Flags().GetString("body-file")
diff --git a/cmd/api/api_test.go b/cmd/api/api_test.go
index dad41a8..2060267 100644
--- a/cmd/api/api_test.go
+++ b/cmd/api/api_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,55 @@ func TestResolveFormat(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestResolvePathPlaceholders(t *testing.T) {
+	origOwner, origRepo := cmdutil.Owner, cmdutil.Repo
+	t.Cleanup(func() { cmdutil.Owner, cmdutil.Repo = origOwner, origRepo })
+	cmdutil.Owner, cmdutil.Repo = "demo-owner", "demo-repo"
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		path string
+		want string
+	}{
+		{"colon placeholders", "/:owner/:repo/issues", "/demo-owner/demo-repo/issues"},
+		{"colon with suffix", "/:owner/:repo/issues/42", "/demo-owner/demo-repo/issues/42"},
+		{"brace placeholders", "/{{owner}}/{{repo}}/pulls", "/demo-owner/demo-repo/pulls"},
+		{"no placeholders unchanged", "/users/me", "/users/me"},
+		{"literal path unchanged", "/Gitlink/gitlink-cli/issues", "/Gitlink/gitlink-cli/issues"},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := resolvePathPlaceholders(tt.path)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("resolvePathPlaceholders(%q): %v", tt.path, err)
+			}
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Fatalf("resolvePathPlaceholders(%q) = %q, want %q", tt.path, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestResolvePathPlaceholdersUnresolvable(t *testing.T) {
+	origOwner, origRepo := cmdutil.Owner, cmdutil.Repo
+	t.Cleanup(func() { cmdutil.Owner, cmdutil.Repo = origOwner, origRepo })
+	cmdutil.Owner, cmdutil.Repo = "", ""
+
+	tmp := t.TempDir()
+	origWD, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = os.Chdir(origWD) })
+	if err := os.Chdir(tmp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if _, err := resolvePathPlaceholders("/:owner/:repo/issues"); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error when owner/repo cannot be resolved")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestNewAPICmd(t *testing.T) {
 	cmd := NewAPICmd()
 	if cmd.Use != "api (<METHOD> <PATH> | --batch-file <FILE>)" {