SEC Filing Documents & Exhibits API

Last updated: May 17, 2026

Business Quant pre-splits every SEC EDGAR filing the moment it's published — dissecting the SGML container into its constituent files, typing each one, and building a ready file index. Pass any accession number across 18M+ filings since 1993 and get an instant index of every document inside — primary HTML, legal exhibits, XBRL/iXBRL linkbases, graphics — then fetch any file directly by name. No SGML parsing, no EDGAR archive downloads, no guessing filenames.

How this fits the SEC API suite: Start with the Real-time SEC Filings API to search by ticker or CIK and collect accession numbers — then use this API to download every file and exhibit attached to any of those filings. For structured section text (MD&A, Risk Factors, Financial Statements), see the Section Extraction API.

1. Fetch the File & Exhibit Manifest

Pass an accession number and receive a complete JSON manifest listing every file attached to the filing — primary HTML, all legal exhibits, XBRL linkbases, graphics, and any other assets. Use document_type to filter for exactly what you need, and filename to call the content endpoint in step 2.

GET https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/{accession}/documents?api_key={api_key}

Request Parameters

Parameter	Description
accession	Required Path Parameter The accession number of the filing. Obtain from the Real-time SEC Filings API. Format: `0000320193-25-000079`
api_key	Required Your API key for authentication and billing. Format: `api_key=YOUR_API_KEY`

Response Fields

Field	Description
filesno	Sequential file number within the submission package.
document_type	Standardized SEC type code — e.g., `10-K`, `EX-21.1`, `EX-101.CAL`, `GRAPHIC`. Filter by this to select files to download.
description	Human-readable label as submitted by the filer. May be empty for auto-generated XBRL or graphic files.
filename	Pass this directly as the `filename` parameter to Section 2's content endpoint to stream the raw file.

Request — cURL

curl -X GET "https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/0000320193-25-000079/documents?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

Response — Manifest Preview (first 4 records)

{
    "metadata": {
        "cik": 320193,
        "ticker": "AAPL",
        "companyname": "Apple Inc.",
        "companyname_short": "Apple",
        "accession": "0000320193-25-000079",
        "total_records": 15
    },
    "data": [
        {
            "filesno": 1,
            "document_type": "10-K",
            "description": "10-K",
            "filename": "aapl-20250927.htm"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 2,
            "document_type": "EX-4.1",
            "description": "EX-4.1",
            "filename": "a10-kexhibit4109272025.htm"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 3,
            "document_type": "EX-21.1",
            "description": "EX-21.1",
            "filename": "a10-kexhibit21109272025.htm"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 4,
            "document_type": "EX-23.1",
            "description": "EX-23.1",
            "filename": "a10-kexhibit23109272025.htm"
        }
    ]
}

2. Download Raw File Content

Once you have identified a file from the manifest, pass the accession number and filename to stream its raw content. The response is the file itself — not JSON — with the correct Content-Type header. Use this to download the primary 10-K HTML, fetch an EX-21 subsidiaries exhibit, pull an EX-101.CAL XBRL linkbase, retrieve a PDF, or stream an embedded graphic as binary bytes.

GET https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/{accession}/content?filename={filename}&api_key={api_key}

Request Parameters

Parameter	Description
accession	Required Path Parameter The accession number matching the manifest you fetched. Format: `0000320193-25-000079`
filename	Required The exact `filename` value from the manifest. Copy it directly — no path or URL prefix. Primary HTML: `filename=aapl-20250927.htm` Legal exhibit: `filename=a10-kexhibit21109272025.htm` XBRL linkbase: `filename=aapl-20250927_cal.xml`
api_key	Required Your API key for authentication and billing.

Response is the raw file, not JSON

This endpoint streams the file itself. Content-Type reflects the actual file: text/html for primary filings and HTML exhibits — application/xml for XBRL linkbases — image/jpeg or image/gif for graphics. Configure your HTTP client to handle binary streams when fetching image files.

Download Primary 10-K HTML

curl -X GET "https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/0000320193-25-000079/content?filename=aapl-20250927.htm&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

Download EX-21 Subsidiaries Exhibit

curl -X GET "https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/0000320193-25-000079/content?filename=a10-kexhibit21109272025.htm&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

Download EX-101.CAL XBRL Linkbase

curl -X GET "https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/0000320193-25-000079/content?filename=aapl-20250927_cal.xml&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

Content Response — Primary 10-K HTML (truncated)

<html>
  <head><title>Apple Inc. - Form 10-K</title></head>
  <body>
    <p style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold;">UNITED STATES</p>
    <p style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold;">SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</p>
    <p style="text-align:center;">Washington, D.C. 20549</p>
    <p style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold;">FORM 10-K</p>
    <!-- ... full body of filing continues ... -->
  </body>
</html>

Live Endpoint https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/0000320193-25-000079/documents?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY

API Response — Full File & Exhibit Manifest

Apple Inc. (AAPL) · 10-K FY2025 · Accession 0000320193-25-000079 · 15 files

{
    "metadata": {
        "cik": 320193,
        "ticker": "AAPL",
        "companyname": "Apple Inc.",
        "companyname_short": "Apple",
        "accession": "0000320193-25-000079",
        "total_records": 15
    },
    "data": [
        {
            "filesno": 1,
            "document_type": "10-K",
            "description": "10-K",
            "filename": "aapl-20250927.htm"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 2,
            "document_type": "EX-4.1",
            "description": "EX-4.1",
            "filename": "a10-kexhibit4109272025.htm"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 3,
            "document_type": "EX-21.1",
            "description": "EX-21.1",
            "filename": "a10-kexhibit21109272025.htm"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 4,
            "document_type": "EX-23.1",
            "description": "EX-23.1",
            "filename": "a10-kexhibit23109272025.htm"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 5,
            "document_type": "EX-31.1",
            "description": "EX-31.1",
            "filename": "a10-kexhibit31109272025.htm"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 6,
            "document_type": "EX-31.2",
            "description": "EX-31.2",
            "filename": "a10-kexhibit31209272025.htm"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 7,
            "document_type": "EX-32.1",
            "description": "EX-32.1",
            "filename": "a10-kexhibit32109272025.htm"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 8,
            "document_type": "EX-101.SCH",
            "description": "",
            "filename": "aapl-20250927.xsd"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 9,
            "document_type": "EX-101.CAL",
            "description": "",
            "filename": "aapl-20250927_cal.xml"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 10,
            "document_type": "EX-101.DEF",
            "description": "",
            "filename": "aapl-20250927_def.xml"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 11,
            "document_type": "EX-101.LAB",
            "description": "",
            "filename": "aapl-20250927_lab.xml"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 12,
            "document_type": "EX-101.PRE",
            "description": "",
            "filename": "aapl-20250927_pre.xml"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 13,
            "document_type": "GRAPHIC",
            "description": "",
            "filename": "aapl-20250927_g1.jpg"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 14,
            "document_type": "GRAPHIC",
            "description": "",
            "filename": "aapl-20250927_g2.jpg"
        },
        {
            "filesno": 94,
            "document_type": "XML",
            "description": "",
            "filename": "aapl-20250927_htm.xml"
        }
    ]
}

CompanyApple Inc. (AAPL)

CIK320193

Accession0000320193-25-000079

Total Files15

#	Document Type	Description	Filename	Fetch Content
1	10-K	10-K	aapl-20250927.htm	Fetch
2	EX-4.1	EX-4.1	a10-kexhibit4109272025.htm	Fetch
3	EX-21.1	EX-21.1	a10-kexhibit21109272025.htm	Fetch
4	EX-23.1	EX-23.1	a10-kexhibit23109272025.htm	Fetch
5	EX-31.1	EX-31.1	a10-kexhibit31109272025.htm	Fetch
6	EX-31.2	EX-31.2	a10-kexhibit31209272025.htm	Fetch
7	EX-32.1	EX-32.1	a10-kexhibit32109272025.htm	Fetch
8	EX-101.SCH	—	aapl-20250927.xsd	Fetch
9	EX-101.CAL	—	aapl-20250927_cal.xml	Fetch
10	EX-101.DEF	—	aapl-20250927_def.xml	Fetch
11	EX-101.LAB	—	aapl-20250927_lab.xml	Fetch
12	EX-101.PRE	—	aapl-20250927_pre.xml	Fetch
13	GRAPHIC	—	aapl-20250927_g1.jpg	Fetch
14	GRAPHIC	—	aapl-20250927_g2.jpg	Fetch
94	XML	—	aapl-20250927_htm.xml	Fetch

15 files. Use the filename from any row as input to the content endpoint to stream that file.

4. Quick Start — 3-Step Workflow

Every download workflow follows the same three-step pattern. The SEC Filing Documents & Exhibits API is intentionally composable with the Real-time SEC Filings API and the Section Extraction API.

1 Get Accession Numbers

Query the SEC Filings API by ticker or CIK to get a list of filings and their accession numbers.

GET /secfilings?ticker=AAPL
  &formtype=10-K
  &api_key=YOUR_API_KEY

2 Fetch the File Manifest

Pass the accession number to receive the full typed file list. Filter by document_type to find the files you need.

GET /secfilings/
  {accession}/documents
  ?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY

3 Download the File

Pass the filename from the manifest to stream the raw HTML, XML, or binary bytes for that specific file.

GET /secfilings/
  {accession}/content
  ?filename={filename}
  &api_key=YOUR_API_KEY

Need structured Item sections from the filing?

The Section Extraction API returns pre-extracted sections — MD&A, Risk Factors, Business Overview, Financial Statements, and more — from 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K filings using the same accession number. Use it when you need the parsed text of a specific section rather than the raw HTML file.

5. Use Cases

The SEC Filing Documents & Exhibits API powers a wide range of programmatic workflows that would otherwise require manual EDGAR navigation. Below are common patterns from quant research, data engineering, and compliance teams.

Custom Financial Datasets

Fetch EX-101.* XBRL linkbase files directly to build custom P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow datasets without HTML parsing or third-party converters.

Covenant & Contract Analysis

Download all EX-10 material contracts from 10-K and 10-Q filings to screen covenants, credit risk, and supply chain agreements at scale.

Corporate Structure Mapping

Fetch EX-21 subsidiary lists across companies to build a time-stamped hierarchy of domestic and foreign entities for M&A and tax research.

LLM & NLP Pipelines

Stream primary HTML or PDF filings into LLM/NLP pipelines for MD&A extraction, risk factor summarization, and sentiment scoring.

Event-Driven Research

Pair with the Real-time SEC Filings API to monitor 8-K filings and immediately stream EX-99.1 press releases or material agreement exhibits.

Compliance & SOX Audit

Retrieve EX-31 and EX-32 certifications from annual and quarterly filings across a company universe for SOX disclosure control verification.

Auditor Relationship Tracking

Fetch EX-23 auditor consent files across years of 10-K filings to track audit firm changes and multi-jurisdiction audit arrangements.

Bulk Archival

Reconstruct complete filing packages — HTML, exhibits, XBRL linkbases, and graphics — and stream every file to long-term storage for offline analysis or regulatory retention.

6. Supported File & Exhibit Classes

The SEC Filing Documents & Exhibits API exposes all of the following file classes as separate, individually addressable assets. The document_type field in the manifest identifies which class each file belongs to — use it to filter for exactly what your pipeline needs.

Primary Filing & General Files

The most valuable asset in any filing is the primary HTML document. SEC EDGAR filings frequently embed inline XBRL tags (<ix:nonFraction>) that break standard parsers. Our engine strips those inline XBRL namespaces and SGML headers before delivery, returning clean HTML your NLP pipeline or renderer can consume directly.

File / Exhibit Class	Extension	Description
`Primary HTML Filing`	.htm / .html	The main body of the SEC filing — the actual 10-K, 10-Q, or 8-K text. Inline XBRL elements have been stripped; the file contains pure HTML. Typically filesno 1 in the manifest.
`GRAPHIC`	.jpg / .gif	Embedded performance graphs, charts, and logos. Returned as raw binary bytes with the correct image Content-Type header.
`XML`	.xml	General-purpose XML data payloads, including structured matrices from Form 4 insider transaction filings and Form 13F institutional holding tables.
`CORRESP`	.htm / .txt	SEC correspondence — letters between the SEC and the company regarding filing reviews, comment letters, or administrative matters.
`INFORMATION TABLE`	.xml	Specific to 13F filings: the XML table of an institution's quarterly reported equity holdings.

XBRL & iXBRL Linkbase Files (EX-101.*)

For custom financial data extraction, skip the HTML and fetch raw XBRL linkbase files directly. These define the precise mathematical relationships, dimensional structures, and human-readable labels for every financial data point the company reported.

File / Exhibit Class	Extension	Description
`EX-101.INS`	.xml	XBRL Instance Document. Core machine-readable file containing raw financial data tags, values, and contextual reporting dates.
`EX-101.SCH`	.xsd	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema. Company-specific schema validating reported data against the US-GAAP or IFRS taxonomy.
`EX-101.CAL`	.xml	XBRL Calculation Linkbase. Defines mathematical relationships between tags — e.g., Assets = Liabilities + Equity.
`EX-101.DEF`	.xml	XBRL Definition Linkbase. Defines dimensional table architectures including segment breakdowns by geography or product line.
`EX-101.LAB`	.xml	XBRL Label Linkbase. English human-readable labels for XBRL concept tags, used when rendering financial statements.
`EX-101.PRE`	.xml	XBRL Presentation Linkbase. Specifies ordering, indentation, and nesting of tags when rendered in a balance sheet or income statement.

Legal Exhibits (Regulation S-K, Item 601)

Legal exhibits are regulated under Item 601 of Regulation S-K and are among the highest-value targets for alternative data research. Each is individually addressable via its document_type code in the manifest.

File / Exhibit Class	Extension	Description
`EX-1`	.htm / .txt	Underwriting agreements related to the public offering of securities.
`EX-2`	.htm / .txt	Plans of acquisition, reorganization, arrangement, liquidation, or succession.
`EX-3`	.htm / .txt	Articles of incorporation and corporate bylaws.
`EX-4`	.htm / .txt	Instruments defining the rights of security holders, including indentures.
`EX-5`	.htm / .txt	Legal opinion on the legality and validity of the securities being registered.
`EX-10`	.htm / .txt	Material Contracts — high-value research target. Supply agreements, real estate leases, executive compensation contracts, and credit facilities.
`EX-14`	.htm / .txt	The company's official code of ethics or conduct.
`EX-16`	.htm / .txt	Letter from a former accountant regarding their termination or resignation as auditor.
`EX-21`	.htm / .txt	Subsidiaries of the Registrant — full domestic and foreign subsidiary list, useful for mapping corporate structure and tax jurisdictions.
`EX-23`	.htm / .txt	Consents from auditors or legal counsel to use their opinions in the filing.
`EX-31 / EX-31.1`	.htm / .txt	Sarbanes-Oxley Section 302 certifications by CEO and CFO confirming accuracy of the financial report.
`EX-32 / EX-32.1`	.htm / .txt	Sarbanes-Oxley Section 906 certifications by CEO and CFO.
`EX-99 / EX-99.1`	.htm / .txt	Additional exhibits — frequently contains press releases or investor presentations attached to 8-K current reports.

7. Edge Cases & Behaviour Notes

Legacy Monolithic Filings (Pre-2003)

Filings submitted before widespread HTML adoption on EDGAR — typically pre-2003 — were often a single monolithic .txt file. The manifest may return only one record (filesno 1) because the filer did not formally attach discrete exhibits. This is expected behaviour, not a data gap.

Amended Filings (10-K/A, 8-K/A)

An amended filing always carries a new, distinct accession number. Its manifest contains only the files that were updated or newly added — it does not duplicate exhibits from the original. To assemble a complete file set, fetch both manifests (original + amendment accession) and merge them in your pipeline.

Downloading Graphic & Image Files

Passing a filename for a GRAPHIC type file returns raw binary image data, not text. Configure your HTTP client to handle binary stream responses. The Content-Type header will be image/jpeg or image/gif.

Empty Description Fields

The description field is submitted by the filer and is often empty for auto-generated XBRL linkbase files and graphics. In these cases, rely on document_type and the filename extension to identify the file class — both fields are always populated.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of files can I download from an SEC filing?

You can download every file in any SEC filing: the primary HTML report, legal exhibits (EX-10 material contracts, EX-21 subsidiary lists, EX-31/32 SOX certifications), the full XBRL/iXBRL linkbase set (EX-101.INS, SCH, CAL, DEF, LAB, PRE), embedded graphics, and XML data tables.

Does the API provide XBRL taxonomy and linkbase files?

Yes. All EX-101.* XBRL files are individually addressable: the instance document (.INS), taxonomy schema (.SCH), calculation linkbase (.CAL), definition linkbase (.DEF), label linkbase (.LAB), and presentation linkbase (.PRE). Filter the manifest by document_type to find them.

How far back does filing document coverage go?

The API covers 18 million+ filings with documents dating back to 1993. Early filings (pre-2003) may contain a single monolithic text file rather than discrete exhibits, which is expected EDGAR behaviour from that era.

Does the API strip inline XBRL tags from HTML filings?

Yes. The primary HTML filing is delivered with inline XBRL namespace elements (such as ix:nonFraction tags) stripped out, so you receive clean HTML that standard parsers and NLP pipelines can consume directly.

Is the SEC Filing Documents & Exhibits API free to use?

Yes, the API is free to use. Sign up for an API key and start downloading documents and exhibits from any SEC EDGAR filing immediately.

SEC Filing Documents & Exhibits API

1. Fetch the File & Exhibit Manifest

Request Parameters

Response Fields

2. Download Raw File Content

Request Parameters

Response is the raw file, not JSON

API Response — Full File & Exhibit Manifest

4. Quick Start — 3-Step Workflow

5. Use Cases

Custom Financial Datasets

Covenant & Contract Analysis

Corporate Structure Mapping

LLM & NLP Pipelines

Event-Driven Research

Compliance & SOX Audit

Auditor Relationship Tracking

Bulk Archival

6. Supported File & Exhibit Classes

Primary Filing & General Files

XBRL & iXBRL Linkbase Files (EX-101.*)

Legal Exhibits (Regulation S-K, Item 601)

7. Edge Cases & Behaviour Notes

Legacy Monolithic Filings (Pre-2003)

Amended Filings (10-K/A, 8-K/A)

Downloading Graphic & Image Files

Empty Description Fields

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of files can I download from an SEC filing?

Does the API provide XBRL taxonomy and linkbase files?

How far back does filing document coverage go?

Does the API strip inline XBRL tags from HTML filings?

Is the SEC Filing Documents & Exhibits API free to use?

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