USAspending API ReferenceIndependent
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Independent developer reference

Build with the API behind usaspending.gov

Every chart, table, and profile on usaspending.gov is a call to a public API. These docs follow the site page by page, so you can find the endpoint behind anything you see and call it yourself.

Start the quickstart Browse 176 endpoints
176endpoints, each with a live console
No keyPublic, free, JSON in and out
/api/v2/on api.usaspending.gov
October 12Contracts last pulled

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Quickstart

Make your first request in under a minute. No key, no sign-up.

Award and account data

The two families of spending data, and how to tell which one you need.

The filter object

One object drives every search endpoint. Every filter, with examples.

Paging and downloads

Page through results, then switch to file downloads for big pulls.

Browse by site menu

The reference follows usaspending.gov's four main menus. Each feature lists the endpoints that page calls.

The endpoints behind Advanced Search, keyword search, and natural-language search.

The endpoints behind Spending Explorer and the agency, account, state, recipient, award, and COVID-19 profiles.

The endpoints behind the Download Center: custom files, archives, and job status.

Reference data, the glossary and data dictionary, and agency submission statistics.

How the site uses the API

All guides

Guides trace one usaspending.gov page from load to last chart, in the order the page makes its calls.

How Advanced Search works

The filter panel, the charts, the results table, and the shareable URL, call by call.

11 callsHow an agency profile is built

Budgetary resources, obligations by award type, recipients, and sub-agencies for one agency and fiscal year.

9 callsHow a recipient profile is built

One recipient: totals, parent and child relationships, and awards over time.

5 callsHow an award summary is built

One award: overview, funding, federal accounts, transactions, and subawards, plus the extra calls for IDVs.

9 callsHow the Download Center works

Request a file, poll until it is ready, then fetch it. The same pattern covers award, account, and archive files.

8 calls

What's new

Site release notes

All releases

API contract changes

Full changelog

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