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Real-time SEC Filings API

The Business Quant Real-time SEC Filings API gives you instant programmatic access to the complete SEC EDGAR filing index for any public company. Query by ticker symbol or CIK number and retrieve metadata, accession numbers, filing dates, exhibit manifests, XBRL attachment lists, and direct document URLs across all 400+ SEC form types — 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, Form 4, S-1, DEF 14A, SC 13G, and hundreds more — all in a single structured API call. Built for quantitative researchers, compliance teams, data engineers, and financial applications that need reliable, low-latency access to EDGAR data without scraping.

GET https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings?ticker={ticker}&formtype={formtype}&api_key={api_key}

Query Parameters

You must supply either ticker or cik to initiate a search. The API resolves the ticker to its master CIK automatically. All other parameters are optional filters that can be composed freely.

Parameter Description
api_key
Required
Your unique API key for authentication. Pass it as a query parameter on every request.
ticker
Conditional String
Stock ticker symbol (e.g., AAPL, MSFT). Required if cik is not provided. The API automatically resolves the ticker to its canonical SEC CIK.
cik
Conditional Integer
The SEC Central Index Key (CIK). Use this for entities without a standard ticker — mutual funds, ETFs, individual insiders, or foreign filers. Required if ticker is not provided.
formtype
Optional
Filter by exact SEC form code. Accepts a comma-separated list of form types. Values are case-insensitive.
Examples: 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, 4, S-1, DEF 14A, SC 13G
Multi-type: formtype=10-K,10-Q
formgroup
Optional
Filter by a broader standardized form category — useful when you want all variations of a class without enumerating every sub-type. Accepts a comma-separated list.
Examples: Quarterly & Annual Report, Insider Transaction, Registration Statement, Current Report, Proxy Statement
from_date
Optional
Lower bound on the filing publication date (inclusive).
Strict Format: DD-MM-YYYY — e.g., 01-01-2023
till_date
Optional
Upper bound on the filing publication date (inclusive).
Strict Format: DD-MM-YYYY — e.g., 31-12-2024
page
Optional
Page number for cursor-based pagination. Starts at 1. The response includes total_pages so you can iterate through all results.
page_size
Optional
Number of records returned per page. Maximum is 1000. Default is 100.
Response Structure Preview
{
    "metadata": {
        "cik": 320193,
        "ticker": "AAPL",
        "companyname": "Apple Inc.",
        "from_date": null,
        "till_date": null,
        "page": 1,
        "page_size": 100,
        "total_records": 131,
        "total_pages": 2
    },
    "data": [
        {
            "accession": "0000320193-26-000013",
            "filingdate": "2026-05-01",
            "reportperiod": "2026-03-28",
            "publishdatetime": "2026-05-01 10:01:00",
            "formtype": "10-Q",
            "formgroup": "Quarterly & Annual Report",
            "items": [
                "part1_item1",
                "part1_item2"
            ],
            "filing_exhibits": [
                {
                    "sequence": "1",
                    "description": "10-Q",
                    "type": "10-Q",
                    "size": "761",
                    "url_doc_sec": "https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019326000013/aapl-20260328.htm",
                    "url_doc_bq": "https://edgar.businessquant.com/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019326000013/aapl-20260328.htm"
                }
            ],
            "xbrl_attachments": [
                {
                    "sequence": "5",
                    "description": "",
                    "type": "EX-101.SCH",
                    "size": "34",
                    "url_doc_sec": "https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019326000013/aapl-20260328.xsd",
                    "url_doc_bq": "https://edgar.businessquant.com/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019326000013/aapl-20260328.xsd"
                }
            ],
            "isinteractivefiling": "y",
            "inline_xbrl": "y",
            "url_sec": {
                "url_edgar": "https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=320193",
                "url_html": "https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019326000013/aapl-20260328.htm",
                "url_txt": "https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019326000013/0000320193-26-000013.txt",
                "url_index": "https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019326000013/0000320193-26-000013-index.htm"
            },
            "url_bq": {
                "url_edgar": "https://edgar.businessquant.com/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=320193",
                "url_html": "https://edgar.businessquant.com/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019326000013/aapl-20260328.htm",
                "url_txt": "https://edgar.businessquant.com/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019326000013/0000320193-26-000013.txt",
                "url_index": "https://edgar.businessquant.com/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000032019326000013/0000320193-26-000013-index.htm"
            }
        }
    ]
}

API Response Sample

Apple Inc. (AAPL)  ·  Showing 3 of 131 total filings  ·  GET /secfilings?ticker=AAPL&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY

Company Apple Inc. (AAPL)
CIK 320193
Total Filings 131
Page 1 of 2
Per Page 100
Filing Date Form Type Report Period Accession Number Items Filing Exhibits XBRL Inline XBRL View Form Group
2026-05-01 10-Q 2026-03-28 0000320193-26-000013 part1_item1part1_item2part1_item3part1_item4 10-QEX-31.1EX-31.2EX-32.1GRAPHIC 6 Yes SEC BQ Index Quarterly & Annual Report
2026-01-30 10-Q 2025-12-27 0000320193-26-000006 part1_item1part1_item2part1_item3part1_item4 10-QEX-31.1EX-31.2EX-32.1GRAPHIC 6 Yes SEC BQ Index Quarterly & Annual Report
2025-10-31 10-K 2025-09-27 0000320193-25-000079 item1item1aitem1bitem1c+18 more 10-KEX-4.1EX-21.1EX-23.1EX-31.1+4 more 6 Yes SEC BQ Index Quarterly & Annual Report

Endpoint Variations — All Supported Query Patterns

The SEC Filings endpoint is designed for flexible, composable querying. Below are the most common access patterns. Parameters can be freely combined — for example, you can filter by both formtype and a date range simultaneously.

1. Filter by Exact Form Type (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, etc.)
https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings?ticker=AAPL&formtype=10-K,10-Q&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
2. Filter by Form Group (all Periodic Reports, all Insider Transactions, etc.)
https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings?ticker=MSFT&formgroup=Quarterly%20%26%20Annual%20Report,Insider%20Transaction&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
3. Lookup by CIK (Funds, ETFs, Foreign Filers, Insider Entities)
https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings?cik=320193&formtype=8-K&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
4. Date-Bounded Search with Pagination
https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings?ticker=AAPL&from_date=01-01-2023&till_date=31-12-2024&page=2&page_size=50&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
5. Fetch All Interactive (XBRL-Tagged) Annual Filings
https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings?ticker=TSLA&formtype=10-K&page_size=1000&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY

URL Architecture — Dual-Source Document Access

Every filing record returns two complete URL bundles — url_sec and url_bq — giving you direct access to documents on both the official SEC EDGAR servers and Business Quant's mirrored archive. Each bundle contains four distinct URL types for different access patterns.

url_sec Official SEC EDGAR URLs

Direct links to www.sec.gov. Authoritative source. Subject to SEC rate limiting under heavy programmatic load. Use for compliance or audit trails where official sourcing matters.

url_edgar → EDGAR company page
url_html   → Rendered HTML document
url_txt    → Raw .txt filing
url_index → Filing index manifest
url_bq Business Quant Mirror URLs

Same content served from edgar.businessquant.com. Optimized for high-frequency programmatic access. Structurally identical to SEC content, so you can swap the domain without changing downstream parsing logic.

url_edgar → BQ EDGAR company page
url_html   → Rendered HTML document
url_txt    → Raw .txt filing
url_index → Filing index manifest

The filing_exhibits Array

Contains each human-readable document attached to the filing — the primary filing document itself, all EX- exhibits (certifications, agreements, financial statements), and embedded graphic files. Each item carries both its SEC and BQ direct-download URLs.

type: "10-Q" | "10-K" | "EX-31.1" | "EX-32.1" | "GRAPHIC" | ...

The xbrl_attachments Array

Contains all XBRL taxonomy files attached to the filing — schema (.xsd), calculation linkbase, definition linkbase, label linkbase, presentation linkbase, and the inline XBRL instance document (.xml). Essential for machine-readable financial data extraction.

type: "EX-101.SCH" | "EX-101.CAL" | "EX-101.DEF" | "EX-101.LAB" | "EX-101.PRE" | "XML"

Complete Response Fields Reference

Every field returned by the SEC Filings API is documented below. The response is structured as a root object with two keys: metadata (pagination and identity context) and data (the array of matching filing records). Nested objects within each record are documented in separate subsections.

metadata — Response Envelope & Pagination
Field Type Description
cikintegerThe SEC Central Index Key for the queried entity. This is the canonical, immutable identifier used by EDGAR for every registrant.
tickerstringThe resolved stock ticker symbol for the entity. If you queried by CIK, this reflects the ticker the API resolved to.
relatedtickersstringComma-separated list of additional ticker symbols associated with the same CIK (e.g., dual-class shares). May be empty.
companynamestringFull legal company name as registered with the SEC.
companyname_shortstringAbbreviated or commonly used company name.
from_datestring | nullThe from_date filter value you supplied, or null if not provided.
till_datestring | nullThe till_date filter value you supplied, or null if not provided.
pageintegerThe current page number returned.
page_sizeintegerThe number of records per page for this response.
total_recordsintegerTotal number of filings matching your query across all pages. Use this to gauge dataset size before iterating.
total_pagesintegerTotal number of pages available given total_records and page_size.
data[] — Filing Record Root Fields
Field Type Description
accessionstringThe unique SEC EDGAR accession number for this filing, in hyphenated format (e.g., 0000320193-26-000013). This is the primary key for downstream document and item extraction endpoints.
filingdatestringThe date the filing was accepted by the SEC EDGAR system, in YYYY-MM-DD format. Results are sorted by this field descending by default.
reportperiodstringThe fiscal period-end date the filing covers (e.g., the last day of the quarter for a 10-Q), in YYYY-MM-DD format. May differ from filingdate by weeks due to SEC filing deadlines.
publishdatetimestringThe exact UTC datetime when the filing was published to EDGAR, in YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS format. More granular than filingdate and useful for time-sensitive trading or compliance workflows.
formtypestringThe exact SEC form code as filed (e.g., 10-Q, 10-K, 8-K, 4, S-1). Matches the formtype query parameter.
formgroupstringStandardized category grouping the form belongs to. Examples: Quarterly & Annual Report, Insider Transaction, Current Report, Registration Statement.
itemsarray[string]List of SEC-defined sections present in the filing. For 10-K filings this includes standard items like item1, item1a, item7, etc. For 10-Q filings these are prefixed as part1_item1, part1_item2, etc. Use this array to verify which sections exist before calling the Item Extraction endpoint.
filing_exhibitsarray[object]Array of human-readable documents attached to the filing — the primary document, EX-31, EX-32 certifications, graphic files, and other exhibits. See filing_exhibits / xbrl_attachments fields below.
xbrl_attachmentsarray[object]Array of XBRL taxonomy and instance files attached to the filing. Populated only when isinteractivefiling is y. See filing_exhibits / xbrl_attachments fields below.
isinteractivefilingstring"y" if the filing was submitted with structured XBRL data; "n" otherwise. Interactive filings enable machine-readable financial extraction.
inline_xbrlstring"y" if the filing uses the modern Inline XBRL (iXBRL) standard, where XBRL tags are embedded directly in the HTML document. "n" for older filings using separate XBRL instance documents.
url_secobjectURL bundle pointing to documents on official SEC EDGAR servers. Contains four keys: url_edgar, url_html, url_txt, url_index. See URL Bundle Fields below.
url_bqobjectIdentical URL structure pointing to the same content on Business Quant's EDGAR mirror at edgar.businessquant.com. Suitable for high-frequency programmatic access without SEC rate limit concerns.
filing_exhibits[] & xbrl_attachments[] — Per-Document Fields
Field Type Description
sequencestringThe document's position number within the filing's EDGAR submission package. Corresponds to the sequence field in the SEC filing index.
descriptionstringHuman-readable document description as submitted by the filer. May be empty for automatically generated XBRL files.
typestringThe SEC document type code. For filing exhibits: 10-K, 10-Q, EX-31.1, EX-32.1, GRAPHIC, etc. For XBRL files: EX-101.SCH, EX-101.CAL, EX-101.DEF, EX-101.LAB, EX-101.PRE, XML.
sizestringFile size in kilobytes (KB) as a string. Useful for estimating download time or filtering by document complexity before fetching.
url_doc_secstringDirect URL to this specific document on the official SEC EDGAR servers. Can be fetched immediately without any further API calls.
url_doc_bqstringDirect URL to the same document on the Business Quant EDGAR mirror. Structurally identical content; ideal for high-throughput programmatic downloads.
url_sec{} & url_bq{} — URL Bundle Fields (identical structure, different domain)
Field Type Description
url_edgarstringURL to the filer's EDGAR company page — lists all historical filings and company registration info. Useful as an anchor for building crawlers or enriching company profiles.
url_htmlstringDirect URL to the primary filing document rendered in HTML. This is the main document (e.g., aapl-20260328.htm) — the full text of the 10-K or 10-Q as submitted.
url_txtstringURL to the complete raw text file of the entire filing submission, including all attached documents concatenated as a single .txt archive. Useful for full-text search pipelines.
url_indexstringURL to the EDGAR filing index page — an HTML manifest listing all documents in this submission. The index is the standard starting point for programmatic parsing of any SEC filing.
items[] — SEC Section Codes Reference

Annual Report (10-K) Item Codes

item1 Business
item1a Risk Factors
item1b Unresolved Staff Comments
item1c Cybersecurity
item2 Properties
item3 Legal Proceedings
item4 Mine Safety Disclosures
item5 Market for Registrant's Equity
item6 Selected Financial Data
item7 MD&A
item7a Quantitative Disclosures About Market Risk
item8 Financial Statements
item9 Changes in Accountants
item9a Controls and Procedures
item9b Other Information
item9c Foreign Jurisdictions Prevention of Inspection
item10 Directors, Officers, and Corporate Governance
item11 Executive Compensation
item12 Security Ownership
item13 Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
item14 Principal Accountant Fees and Services
item15 Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

Quarterly Report (10-Q) Item Codes

part1_item1 Financial Statements
part1_item2 MD&A
part1_item3 Quantitative Disclosures About Market Risk
part1_item4 Controls and Procedures
part2_item1 Legal Proceedings
part2_item1a Risk Factors
part2_item2 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
part2_item3 Defaults Upon Senior Securities
part2_item4 Mine Safety Disclosures
part2_item5 Other Information
part2_item6 Exhibits

Tip: Use the items array to verify which sections are present in a filing before calling the Item Extraction API. Requesting a section that doesn't exist in a filing returns an empty result rather than an error.

Common Use Cases for the SEC Filings API

📊 Quantitative Research Pipelines

Fetch all 10-K and 10-Q filings for a universe of companies, extract the XBRL attachments, and feed the structured data into financial models. The xbrl_attachments array gives you direct URLs to every taxonomy file without additional lookups.

⚖️ Compliance & Regulatory Monitoring

Monitor for new 8-K filings or insider Form 4 transactions in near real-time by polling the endpoint filtered by from_date set to today. The publishdatetime field gives minute-level precision for time-sensitive workflows.

📄 Document Retrieval & NLP

Use the url_html or url_txt fields from url_bq to fetch and parse the full text of any SEC filing — the starting point for LLM-based financial analysis, sentiment scoring, or MD&A extraction.

🔍 Due Diligence & Screening

Check whether a company has filed an S-1, S-3, or registration amendment — and retrieve the document directly — in a single API call. Combine with the Stocks Profile endpoint to build a full company intelligence layer.

📈 Financial Data Aggregation

Iterate over total_pages to collect a company's entire EDGAR history, then use the items array on each record to route filings to the appropriate Item Extraction sub-endpoint for structured content parsing.

🏦 Fund & Institutional Research

Query by cik rather than ticker to retrieve filings for mutual funds, ETFs, or institutional filers that don't have standard exchange tickers — enabling the same structured access for the entire EDGAR registrant universe.