SEC Form Types & Form Groups API
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This endpoint returns the exact form types and form groups a given company has actually filed — optionally scoped to a date range — so you can power dropdown filters or discover valid formtype / formgroup values before querying the main SEC Filings endpoint.
Business Quant hosts 400+ distinct SEC form types, across 18 million+ filings filed since 1993, each classified into a standardized form group for easy sorting and filtering.
How this fits the SEC API suite:
Use this API to discover which form types and form groups a company has on file — ideal for populating a filter dropdown.
Then pass those values into the SEC Filings API via its formtype or formgroup parameters to retrieve the actual filing records.
https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/formtypes?ticker={ticker}&api_key={api_key}
Query Parameters
Provide either ticker or cik to identify the company. The API resolves tickers to their master CIK automatically. from_date and till_date are optional — omit both to see a company's complete filing history.
| 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., META, AAPL). 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.
|
| from_date |
Optional
Lower bound on the filing publication date (inclusive). Only form types/groups filed on or after this date are returned.
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 |
{
"metadata": {
"cik": 1326801,
"ticker": "META",
"companyname": "Meta Platforms, Inc.",
"from_date": null,
"till_date": null,
"total_filings": 4228
},
"data": {
"formtypes": [
"10-K",
"10-Q",
"144",
"3",
"4",
"424B2"
],
"formgroups": [
"Beneficial Ownership Report",
"Current Report",
"Insider Transaction",
"Others"
]
}
}
What this endpoint returns
A single object with two arrays: formtypes — every distinct exact SEC form code the company has filed (e.g. 10-K, 8-K, 4) — and formgroups — every distinct standardized category those forms roll up into (e.g. Quarterly & Annual Report, Insider Transaction). Both lists are alphabetically sorted and deduplicated. This endpoint does not return filing records themselves — pair it with the SEC Filings API to fetch the actual accessions.
Search & Filtering Examples
Common patterns:
Full filing history for a company
?ticker=META
Only form types filed within a year
?ticker=META&from_date=01-01-2024&till_date=31-12-2024
Lookup by CIK instead of ticker
?cik=1326801
API Response Sample
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) · 39 form types across 4,228 total filings ·
GET /secfilings/formtypes?ticker=META&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
formtypes[] — 39 distinct values
formgroups[] — 6 distinct values
Endpoint Variations — All Supported Query Patterns
This endpoint accepts the same identifier and date-range parameters as the main SEC Filings endpoint, minus pagination and the formtype/formgroup filters themselves — since discovering those values is the point of this endpoint.
https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/formtypes?ticker=META&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/formtypes?cik=1326801&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/formtypes?ticker=META&from_date=01-01-2024&till_date=31-12-2024&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
Complete Response Fields Reference
The response is a root object with two keys: metadata (identity context and filing count) and data (the two lookup arrays).
Common Use Cases
🎛️ Populating Filter UIs
Build a form type / form group dropdown scoped to what a company has actually filed, instead of hardcoding all 400+ EDGAR form codes — most of which will never apply to any given filer.
🔍 Pre-flight Validation
Before running a large paginated pull against the SEC Filings endpoint, check this endpoint first to confirm a company actually has, say, Form 4 or 13F filings before spending API calls searching for them.
📅 Coverage-by-Period Checks
Combine with from_date/till_date to see which form types were active during a specific era — useful for detecting registration changes, since a filer's form mix shifts as it changes status (e.g. going from foreign private issuer to domestic filer).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between formtype and formgroup?
formtype is the exact SEC form code as filed, such as 10-K, 10-Q, or 8-K. formgroup is a broader standardized category several form types roll up into, such as Quarterly & Annual Report or Insider Transaction. Use this endpoint to discover which of each a company has actually filed before building a formtype or formgroup filter for the main SEC Filings endpoint.
Can I scope the form type list to a specific date range?
Yes. Pass from_date and/or till_date in DD-MM-YYYY format to restrict the returned formtypes and formgroups to only those filed within that window. Omit both to get the company's complete filing history.
Does this endpoint return the filings themselves?
No. This endpoint only returns the distinct list of form types and form groups, along with a total filing count. To retrieve the actual filing records, accession numbers, and document URLs, use the SEC Filings endpoint, optionally passing the formtype or formgroup values discovered here.