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SEC Filings Item Extraction API

Gain instantaneous access to specific text sections from SEC filings in cleaned, standardized HTML format. Our real-time engine proactively dissects, extracts and indexes millions of filings as they are published. By passing the filing's Accession Number and the specific Item Code (e.g., Item1A), you can retrieve targeted legal and financial disclosures without needing to build your own parsing algorithms. Supported form types include:

  • 10-K (Annual Reports)
  • 10-Q (Quarterly Reports)
  • 8-K (Current Reports)
  • 20-F (Foreign Private Issuers)
  • S-1 (Domestic Registration Statements)
  • F-1 (Foreign Registration Statements)

Our Architecture: Pre-Extracted & Zero Latency

Our API provides access to items that are already extracted, structured, and indexed before you even request them. This proactive architecture guarantees instantaneous, sub-second retrieval times across our entire database of historical and real-time SEC filings.

1. Fetch Extracted Content (View Item)

Pass the Accession Number of the filing and the specific Item Code to instantly retrieve the pre-extracted, standardized HTML content for that section.

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

Request Parameters

Parameter Description
accession
Required
The unique Accession Number of the SEC filing.
Format: 0000320193-23-000106
item_key
Required
The canonical item code to retrieve (See "Supported Items" section below).
Format: item_key=Item1A
api_key
Required
Your API key for authentication and billing.
Format: api_key=YOUR_API_KEY

Endpoint Variations

Depending on the form type, the item_key syntax changes natively:

  • 10-Q (Quarterly): Items are prefixed by their Part. (e.g., Part2_Item1A).
  • S-1 / F-1 (Prospectus): Uses CamelCase string keys (e.g., MDA or RiskFactors).
Request Example (HTML Content) 
curl -X GET "https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/0000320193-23-000106/content?item_key=Item1A&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
Response Artifact (Raw HTML) 
<p style="font-weight:bold;">Item 1A. Risk Factors</p>
<p>The Company’s business, financial condition and operating results can be affected by a number of factors...</p>
<p style="font-style:italic;">Macroeconomic and Industry Risks</p>
<p><b>The Company’s operations and performance depend significantly on global and regional economic conditions.</b></p>
<p>Adverse macroeconomic conditions, including inflation, slower growth or recession, new or increased tariffs...</p>
<!-- ... (truncated) -->

2. List Available Items

Query this endpoint to discover which specific items are available for a given filing. It returns a JSON array of all successfully parsed sections and their corresponding content URLs for a specific accession number.

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

Request Parameters

Parameter Description
accession
Required
The unique Accession Number of the SEC filing.
Format: 0000320193-23-000106
api_key
Required
Your API key for authentication and billing.
Format: api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
Request Example (JSON List) 
curl -X GET "https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/0000320193-23-000106/items?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
Response Artifact (HATEOAS Linked) 
{
    "metadata": {
        "cik": 320193,
        "ticker": "AAPL",
        "accession": "0000320193-23-000106",
        "formtype": "10-K",
        "total_records": 4
    },
    "data": [
        {
            "item_key": "Item1",
            "title": "Business",
            "content_url": "https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/0000320193-23-000106/content?item_key=Item1&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
        },
        {
            "item_key": "Item1A",
            "title": "Risk Factors",
            "content_url": "https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/0000320193-23-000106/content?item_key=Item1A&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
        },
        {
            "item_key": "Item7",
            "title": "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations",
            "content_url": "https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/0000320193-23-000106/content?item_key=Item7&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
        },
        {
            "item_key": "Item8",
            "title": "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data",
            "content_url": "https://data.businessquant.com/secfilings/0000320193-23-000106/content?item_key=Item8&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"
        }
    ]
}

3. Supported Items Dictionary

Our engine standardizes thousands of reporting variances into canonical item_key identifiers. Use these exact string keys when calling the Content API. Note that filers may omit an item entirely if it is not applicable to them during a specific reporting period.

Form 10-K (Annual Reports)

Item CodeItem Description
Item1Business
Item1ARisk Factors
Item1BUnresolved Staff Comments
Item1CCybersecurity
Item2Properties
Item3Legal Proceedings
Item4Mine Safety Disclosures
Item5Market for Registrant's Common Equity
Item6Selected Financial Data
Item7Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A)
Item7AQualitative/Quantitative Market Risk
Item8Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Item CodeItem Description
Item9Changes in Accountants
Item9AControls and Procedures
Item9BOther Information
Item9CDisclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions
Item10Directors and Corporate Governance
Item11Executive Compensation
Item12Security Ownership and Beneficial Owners
Item13Related Transactions and Independence
Item14Principal Accounting Fees
Item15Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Item16Form 10-K Summary

Form 10-Q (Quarterly Reports)

Item CodeItem Description
Part1_Item1Financial Statements
Part1_Item2Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A)
Part1_Item3Qualitative/Quantitative Market Risk
Part1_Item4Controls and Procedures
Part2_Item1Legal Proceedings
Part2_Item1ARisk Factors
Item CodeItem Description
Part2_Item2Unregistered Sales of Equity
Part2_Item3Defaults Upon Senior Securities
Part2_Item4Mine Safety Disclosures
Part2_Item5Other Information
Part2_Item6Exhibits

Form 8-K (Current Reports)

Item CodeItem Description
Item1_01Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
Item1_02Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement
Item1_03Bankruptcy or Receivership
Item1_04Mine Safety Shutdowns
Item1_05Material Cybersecurity Incidents
Item2_01Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets
Item2_02Results of Operations and Financial Condition
Item2_03Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation
Item2_04Triggering Events
Item2_05Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal
Item2_06Material Impairments
Item3_01Notice of Delisting
Item3_02Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
Item3_03Material Modifications to Rights of Security Holders
Item4_01Changes in Certifying Accountant
Item4_02Non-Reliance on Previously Issued Financial Statements
Item5_01Changes in Control of Registrant
Item5_02Departure/Election of Directors or Officers
Item CodeItem Description
Item5_03Amendments to Articles of Incorporation
Item5_04Temporary Suspension of Trading
Item5_05Amendments to Code of Ethics
Item5_06Change in Shell Company Status
Item5_07Submission of Matters to a Vote
Item5_08Shareholder Nominations
Item6_01ABS Informational Material
Item6_02Change of Servicer or Trustee
Item6_03Change in Credit Enhancement
Item6_04Failure to Make a Required Distribution
Item6_05Securities Act Updating Disclosure
Item6_06Static Pool
Item6_10Alternative Filings of Asset-Backed Issuers
Item7_01Regulation FD Disclosure
Item8_01Other Events
Item9_01Financial Statements and Exhibits
SignatureSignature

Form 20-F (Foreign Private Issuers)

Item CodeItem Description
Item1Identity of Directors, Senior Management
Item2Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable
Item3Key Information
Item3ASelected Financial Data
Item3BCapitalization and Indebtedness
Item3CReasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds
Item3DRisk Factors
Item4Information on the Company
Item4AUnresolved Staff Comments
Item5Operating and Financial Review and Prospects (MD&A)
Item5AOperating Results
Item5BLiquidity and Capital Resources
Item5CResearch and Development
Item5DTrend Information
Item5EOff-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Item5FTabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations
Item6Directors, Senior Management and Employees
Item7Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions
Item8Financial Information
Item9The Offer and Listing
Item10Additional Information
Item CodeItem Description
Item11Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item12Description of Securities Other Than Equity
Item13Defaults, Dividend Arrearages
Item14Material Modifications to Rights
Item15Controls and Procedures
Item15TControls and Procedures (Transitional)
Item16AAudit Committee Financial Expert
Item16BCode of Ethics
Item16CPrincipal Accountant Fees
Item16DExemptions from Listing Standards
Item16EPurchases of Equity Securities
Item16FChange in Certifying Accountant
Item16GCorporate Governance
Item16HMine Safety Disclosure
Item16IForeign Jurisdictions Disclosure
Item16JInsider Trading Policies
Item16KCybersecurity
Item17Financial Statements
Item18Financial Statements (Alt)
Item19Exhibits

Form S-1 (Domestic Registration Statements)

Item CodeItem Description
AboutThisProspectusAbout This Prospectus
ProspectusSummaryProspectus Summary
RiskFactorsRisk Factors
ForwardLookingForward-Looking Statements
UseOfProceedsUse of Proceeds
DividendPolicyDividend Policy
CapitalizationCapitalization
DilutionDilution
SelectedFinancialDataSelected Financial Data
MDAManagement's Discussion and Analysis
BusinessBusiness / Description of Business
RegulationRegulatory Environment / Government Regulation
IndustryOverviewIndustry Overview
PropertiesProperties
LegalProceedingsLegal Proceedings
ManagementDirectors and Executive Officers
ExecutiveCompensationExecutive Compensation
Item CodeItem Description
SecurityOwnershipSecurity Ownership / Principal Shareholders
RelatedTransactionsCertain Relationships and Related Transactions
DescriptionOfCapitalStockDescription of Capital Stock / Securities
SharesEligibleShares Eligible for Future Sale
MaterialUSFederalIncomeTaxMaterial U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences
UnderwritingUnderwriting / Plan of Distribution
LegalMattersLegal Matters
ExpertsExperts
AvailableInformationAvailable Information
FinancialStatementsFinancial Statements
PartII_OtherExpensesOther Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
PartII_IndemnificationIndemnification of Directors and Officers
PartII_RecentSalesRecent Sales of Unregistered Securities
PartII_ExhibitsExhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
PartII_UndertakingsUndertakings
SignaturesSignatures

Form F-1 (Foreign Registration Statements)

Item CodeItem Description
AboutThisProspectusAbout This Prospectus
ProspectusSummaryProspectus Summary
RiskFactorsRisk Factors
ForwardLookingForward-Looking Statements
UseOfProceedsUse of Proceeds
DividendPolicyDividend Policy
CapitalizationCapitalization
DilutionDilution
ExchangeRateInfoExchange Rate Information
SelectedFinancialDataSelected Financial Data
MDAManagement's Discussion and Analysis
BusinessBusiness
IndustryOverviewIndustry Overview
OurHistoryOur Corporate History
OurStrengthsOur Competitive Strengths
OurStrategyOur Strategy
OurProductsOur Products and Services
RegulationRegulation / PRC Regulations
PropertiesProperties
LegalProceedingsLegal Proceedings
RelatedPartyTransactionsRelated Party Transactions
Item CodeItem Description
ManagementDirectors and Executive Officers
ExecutiveCompensationExecutive Compensation
SecurityOwnershipPrincipal Shareholders / Security Ownership
CorporateGovernanceCorporate Governance
DescriptionOfShareCapitalDescription of Share Capital
DescriptionOfADSDescription of American Depositary Shares (ADS)
SharesEligibleShares Eligible for Future Sale
MaterialTaxConsequencesMaterial Tax Considerations
UnderwritingUnderwriting / Plan of Distribution
LegalMattersLegal Matters
ExpertsExperts
ServiceOfProcessEnforceability of Civil Liabilities
AvailableInformationAvailable Information
FinancialStatementsFinancial Statements
PartII_OtherExpensesOther Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
PartII_IndemnificationIndemnification of Directors
PartII_RecentSalesRecent Sales of Unregistered Securities
PartII_ExhibitsExhibits
PartII_UndertakingsUndertakings
SignaturesSignatures

4. Frequently Asked Questions & Edge Cases

Missing Items & Filer Discretion

Filers do not always report all items in every filing. A specific form might not contain all the items listed in the documentation. If an item is not applicable or there were no material changes to report during the period, the filer may omit it entirely from the document.

Empty Sections and Unparseable Filings

Filings submitted prior to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002 often lack standardized structures, which can affect extractability. Furthermore, certain entities like Trusts and REITs file 10-Ks but frequently omit standard sections entirely.

  • Trusts: E.g., STRATS Trust or Sabine Royalty Trust 10-Ks routinely omit the standard MD&A section or retitle it as "Trustee's Discussion".
  • Scattered Sections: In rare cases (~1 in 1,000), filers like Citigroup or GE distribute Item 1 or Item 7 non-sequentially across multiple unlinked pages in the document, severely complicating parsing boundaries.

Filtering by Entity Type

Before attempting to fetch items across a massive dataset, we recommend using the Stocks Profile API to exclude entities that do not produce standard text disclosures. Common exclusions include:

  • Entities with Security Categories matching ETF, UNIT, or CEF.
  • Entities with SIC codes 6189 (Asset-Backed Securities) and 6798 (Real Estate Investment Trusts).