Glossary
official API access
official API access is programmatic retrieval through a publisher-run API rather than scraped pages - the access method recorded for Data.gov, data.europa.eu and the World Bank indicator API, which is free under commercial delivery terms 4.0. In Datadory's catalog of 1,744 datasets, Data.gov and EU Open Data Portal are working examples.
What is official API access?
Programmatic retrieval through a publisher-run API rather than scraped pages - the access method recorded for Data.gov, data.europa.eu and the World Bank indicator API, which is free under commercial delivery terms 4.0.
In this catalog it appears concretely: - Data.gov — "official_api". - EU Open Data Portal — "official_api". - World Bank Mobile Cellular Subscriptions (IT.CEL.SETS) Indicator — "bulk CSV/XML/Excel downloads and a free REST API under commercial delivery terms 4.0". - BLS Public Data API — "API v2 REST endpoint returning JSON, no key for small pulls".
Why does official API access matter when choosing a dataset?
Access method sets your maintenance bill. Delivery routes change, layouts drift and scrapers rot quietly; whoever operates your pipeline inherits all of it, which is why access should be priced alongside the license itself.
The failure mode is concrete: the label appears in a listing, the delivered files tell a different story, and the gap surfaces mid-project when fixing it is most expensive.
You rarely have to take a vendor's word for it. 82.4% of the 1,744 datasets Datadory catalogs are free to access, and Data.gov lets you inspect the real artifact before any budget is committed.
How do you evaluate official API access in a data source?
Treat every claim of this attribute as testable:
- Open Data.gov and confirm its record — "official_api" — against the files you actually receive.
- Open EU Open Data Portal and confirm its record — "official_api" — against the files you actually receive.
- Open World Bank Mobile Cellular Subscriptions (IT.CEL.SETS) Indicator and confirm its record — "bulk CSV/XML/Excel downloads and a free REST API under commercial delivery terms 4.0" — against the files you actually receive.
See the term applied to real records: air-freight-logistics data, alternative-carriers data.
Related terms
Adjacent concepts worth reading next: - api rate limit - apparel consumer price index - append to response parameter - bulk download - commercial delivery terms 4 license - freemium integration key with rate limit
Frequently asked questions
What is an example of official API access?
Data.gov is the clearest example in this catalog. Its record states: "official_api". Across all 1,744 datasets Datadory averages a quality score of 7.81 out of 10, so a named example can be weighed rather than trusted blindly.
Is data described as "official API access" free to use?
Treat access and permission separately. 82.4% of the 1,744 datasets in this catalog are free to access, but 235 are freemium and 61 are paid outright, so confirm both the price and the license on the exact distribution before building on it.
How do I verify a source really provides official API access?
Open Data.gov next to EU Open Data Portal and compare the promise with the download. Field definitions are verified for 1495 of 1,744 datasets (85.7%), which makes that check fast inside the catalog and manual outside it.
Datasets containing this field
Datasets containing official API access
6 datasets carry official api access in the catalog. Open one, count the fields, judge for yourself.
ACI World Data Centre - Airport Traffic Statistics
Rank · Airport · Cargo tonnes …+3 more
BTS T-100 Air Carrier Statistics (Form 41 Traffic)
Data.gov Aviation Tag Catalog
Eurostat – Freight and Mail Air Transport by Main Airports (AVIA_GOOA)
freq · unit · tra_meas …+6 more
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