Microproduct Data GuideBeginner

Companies House Register

Public UK company, officer, and filing records for building company-status, officer, and industry-lookup tools.

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At a Glance

Difficulty
Beginner — comfortable for a first prototype
Size
Large · ≤10 GB
Formats
JSON, CSV
Access
API or Download
API Key
Required
Provider
Companies House
Updates
Daily
Last Verified
Sep 27, 2026
Source Type
Government Source
Data Terms
Companies House public register terms
  • Python Syntax Checked

From Source to Product Signal

Test a Product Idea in Four Steps

The Companies House API returns public register records for UK companies. Start with one company number after creating a free API key. Register data can lag filings, dissolved companies remain searchable, and you remain responsible for data-protection rules when publishing officer details.

1

Check the Setup

  • Python 3.10 or newer
  • A notebook environment such as Jupyter or Google Colab
  • A free Companies House API key saved in the COMPANIES_HOUSE_API_KEY environment variable
2

Access the Data

  1. 1.Register a Companies House developer account and create an API key.
  2. 2.Read the data-products page, including the notice that the public register has no reuse licence restrictions.
  3. 3.Request one company profile by company number.
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3

Run the Python Example

Install the packages, then run the notebook cell.

python -m pip install pandas requests

import os
import pandas as pd
import requests

response = requests.get(
    "https://api.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00000006",
    auth=(os.environ["COMPANIES_HOUSE_API_KEY"], ""),
    timeout=30,
)
response.raise_for_status()
profile = pd.json_normalize(response.json())
print(profile.filter(regex="company_name|company_number|company_status|sic").head())
4

Test a Useful Signal

Look Up One UK Company's Status and SIC Codes

Test whether the public register can power a company-status card.

  1. 01Keep company number, name, status, and SIC codes.
  2. 02Record the accounts and confirmation-statement due dates if present.
  3. 03Explain that officer and address fields are personal data and that register lag can make a "live" status stale.

Related Datasets

Dataset Details

Companies House is a government source. Last verified 2026-09-27. Temporal coverage: live companies on the public register.

Formats

JSONCSV

Provider

Companies House

Data Terms

Companies House public register terms

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