# UK New Companies Tracker by SIC Code & Region (`belgair/companies-house-uk-watch`) Actor Track the UK company register by SIC code, region and status. Get only the companies that are new, changed or removed since your last run, ready to schedule daily. Also works as a one-off search. - **URL**: https://apify.com/belgair/companies-house-uk-watch.md - **Developed by:** [Belgair Data](https://apify.com/belgair) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation, Business - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $1.75 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md. ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run. For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below. Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`). # README ## UK New Companies Tracker by SIC Code & Region Get the **UK companies that are new, changed or removed since your last run**, filtered by **industry (SIC code)**, **postcode or town**, **incorporation date** and **status**, straight from the public Companies House register. Schedule it daily and receive only the changes: newly incorporated companies in your sector and area, companies that went into liquidation, and companies that were dissolved. **No API key, no code, no setup.** *Not affiliated with or endorsed by Companies House.* ### What can you use it for? - **Daily new business leads.** Every morning, the companies incorporated in your sector and area since yesterday, ready for your CRM or outreach list. Reach them before your competitors do. - **Watch a market.** See who enters and who leaves: new software companies in Manchester, new construction firms in a postcode area, dissolutions in your niche. - **Monitor risk in a sector.** Leave **Company status** empty and you get a `changed` row with the new status as soon as a company in your filters moves to liquidation, administration or dissolution. (With only **Active** selected, such a company comes back as `removed`: it no longer matches your filters.) - **Feed your tools automatically.** Send each run's changes to email, Slack, Google Sheets, a webhook or your CRM with Apify integrations. - **One-off searches too.** Leave tracking off and you get a normal search: every company that matches, in one table. ### What you get Output of a tracking run (SIC code 62012, Cambridge, active, incorporated since July 2026). One row per new, changed or removed company: ```json [ { "schemaVersion": "company-registry/v1", "country": "GB", "registry": "Companies House", "registrationNumber": "17495204", "name": "BOTHY SYSTEMS LTD", "status": "active", "statusDetail": "Active", "legalForm": "Private limited company", "legalFormCode": "ltd", "incorporationDate": "2026-10-02", "dissolutionDate": null, "registeredAddress": "51 Queensway, Cambridge, CB2 8AY, United Kingdom", "addressLine1": "51 Queensway", "addressLine2": null, "postalCode": "CB2 8AY", "city": "Cambridge", "region": null, "addressCountry": "United Kingdom", "activityCodes": ["62012"], "activityDescriptions": ["Business and domestic software development"], "activityScheme": "UK SIC 2007", "sourceUrl": "https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/17495204", "retrievedAt": "2026-10-16T20:33:31.409Z", "changeType": "new", "changeDetectedAt": "2026-10-16T20:33:31.150Z", "changedFields": [], "previousValues": null } ] ``` | Field | Description | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `registrationNumber` | Companies House company number | | `name` | Registered company name | | `status` | Simple status: `active`, `insolvent`, `dissolved` or `unknown` | | `statusDetail` | Status in Companies House wording, e.g. `Liquidation`, `In Administration` | | `legalForm`, `legalFormCode` | Legal form, e.g. `Private limited company` (`ltd`), `Limited liability partnership` (`llp`) | | `incorporationDate`, `dissolutionDate` | Dates as `YYYY-MM-DD` | | `registeredAddress` | Full registered office address on one line | | `addressLine1`, `addressLine2`, `postalCode`, `city`, `region`, `addressCountry` | The same address split into columns | | `activityCodes`, `activityDescriptions` | SIC codes with their official descriptions | | `sourceUrl` | The company's page on the public register | | `retrievedAt` | When the record was retrieved | | `changeType`, `changeDetectedAt` | Tracking only: `new`, `changed` or `removed`, and when the change was found | | `changedFields`, `previousValues` | Tracking only: which columns changed, and their values in the previous run | | `schemaVersion`, `country`, `registry`, `activityScheme` | Fixed columns of the standard company-registry v1 layout | **Company data only.** No directors, shareholders or personal contact details: this Actor never requests them. The columns follow one standard layout (**company-registry v1**), designed to stay the same for other national company registers. Download the results as **Excel, CSV, JSON, XML or HTML**, or pull them in via the Apify API, Zapier, Make or Google Sheets. **Data source and licence.** The data comes from [Companies House](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house). Contains public sector information licensed under the [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). ### Schedule it daily: only what is new Turn on **Only new or changed since the last run** and the Actor remembers what it has already shown you, per combination of filters: - **First run:** saves a baseline of everything that matches. Nothing is delivered and nothing is charged. - **Every next run:** returns only companies that are **new**, **changed** (name, status, address or SIC codes) or **removed** (no longer match your filters, for example after dissolution). Each row has `changeType` (`new`, `changed` or `removed`) and `changeDetectedAt`; changed rows also list `changedFields` and `previousValues`. - **No changes:** the run finishes with an empty dataset and costs only the small start fee. You pay per delivered change, never for companies you have already seen. How to schedule it in Apify: 1. Fill in the input, turn on **Only new or changed since the last run** and click **Save as a new task**. 2. Open **Schedules**, click **Create new**, pick a time (for example every day at 07:00) and add your task. 3. Optional: on the task's **Integrations** tab, send each run's results to email, Slack, Google Sheets or a webhook. The memory is a named key-value store `companies-house-uk-watch` in your own Apify account, with one record per input combination. It only holds the companies you were shown. To start over with a new baseline, delete that record. **Tip:** keep each tracked search under 10,000 matching companies (the most one search can return), for example by adding a town or an incorporation date. If a search matches more, the run says so in its final message. Removed companies are only reported after a complete scan, so a run that was cut short never reports false removals. ### How much does it cost? You pay **per delivered company**: **$2.50 per 1,000 companies** (pay-per-event). A list of 200 companies costs $0.50. - **Tracking:** the first run (baseline) delivers nothing and charges nothing. After that you pay only for new, changed or removed companies. A run without changes costs only the small start fee. - You are only charged for **valid companies** that land in your dataset. Searches without matches and failed requests are never charged. - Set a **maximum cost per run** in the run options. The run stops cleanly when that budget is reached. - Set **Maximum results** to cap the size of a run. ### Built to be reliable - **Straight from the register.** Data is read live through the Companies House public data API, not scraped from web pages. Website redesigns don't break it. - **Fast.** A filtered list of 1,000 companies takes seconds. - **Checks that the data is real.** Every record is validated (company number, name, dates, address). An empty or broken answer is retried and reported, never charged. - **Fair use built in.** Requests are paced well below the Companies House rate limit. If Companies House asks to slow down, the run pauses instead of pushing on. - **Honest results.** If nothing matches your filters, the run says so clearly and costs nothing. - **Clear error report.** Every run saves a `RUN_SUMMARY` with the number of companies and any failed requests per cause: proxy, rate limit, blocked, network or other. ### How to use it 1. Fill in at least one of **SIC codes**, **Postcode or town**, **Incorporated from/to** or **Company name contains**. **Company status** narrows the search further. 2. Set **Maximum results**. 3. Click **Start** and download your list when the run finishes (usually within seconds). Not sure which SIC code you need? Search the [official SIC code list](https://resources.companieshouse.gov.uk/sic/) of Companies House. ### Input | Field | Default | Description | | ------------------------------------------- | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Company name contains | empty | Only companies whose name contains this text | | SIC codes | empty | 5-digit UK SIC 2007 codes; a company matches if it has any of them | | Postcode or town | empty | Text in the registered office address, e.g. `London`, `Leeds` or `M1` (see the FAQ on town names) | | Incorporated from / to | empty | Incorporation date range | | Company status | all | e.g. Active, Dissolved, Liquidation, In administration | | Maximum results | 100 | Stop after this many companies (max 10,000 per search) | | Only new or changed since the last run | off | Return only new, changed or removed companies (see "Schedule it daily") | | Your own Companies House API key (optional) | empty | Not needed. Heavy users can add their own free key for a separate rate limit | At least one filter is required: company name, SIC code, postcode or town, or an incorporation date (status alone is not enough). Example input: ```json { "sicCodes": ["10710"], "location": "London", "incorporatedFrom": "2024-01-01", "status": ["active"], "maxResults": 50 } ``` ### FAQ **Do I need a Companies House API key?** No. The Actor works out of the box. If you run very large or very frequent jobs, you can add your own free key from the [Companies House developer hub](https://developer.company-information.service.gov.uk/) to get your own rate limit. **How many companies can one search return?** Up to 10,000. This Actor is built for targeted searches: combine SIC codes, a town or postcode, dates and status to get exactly the companies you need. **Why do I see companies from another town?** **Postcode or town** is a text search in the registered office address, the way Companies House searches it. `Cambridge` also finds `2 Cambridge Road, Barking`. Check the `city` and `postalCode` columns, or use a postcode area such as `CB1` for a tighter match. **How fresh is the data?** It is read live from the register at the moment of your run. **Why are there no directors or e-mail addresses?** By design: this Actor only collects company data, no personal data. **Is this legal?** The Companies House register is public, and this Actor reads it through the Companies House public data API. Contains public sector information licensed under the [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). You remain responsible for how you use the data, for example under UK GDPR and direct marketing rules. **Is this an official Companies House service?** No. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Companies House. **A run returned fewer companies than expected.** Open `RUN_SUMMARY` in the run's storage: it shows how many requests failed and why. **Something is broken or missing?** Open an issue on the Issues tab. We usually reply within a few working days. # Actor input Schema ## `query` (type: `string`): Only companies whose name contains this text, e.g. bakery. Leave empty to search on the other filters only. ## `sicCodes` (type: `array`): UK SIC 2007 codes, 5 digits, e.g. 10710 (bakeries) or 62012 (software development). A company matches if it has any of these codes. ## `location` (type: `string`): Text in the registered office address, e.g. London, Manchester or a postcode like M1. It is a text match: Cambridge also finds 2 Cambridge Road in Barking, so check the city and postalCode columns. Leave empty for the whole UK. ## `incorporatedFrom` (type: `string`): Only companies incorporated on or after this date. ## `incorporatedTo` (type: `string`): Only companies incorporated on or before this date. ## `status` (type: `array`): Only companies with one of these statuses. Leave empty for all statuses. ## `onlyNew` (type: `boolean`): Return only companies that are new, changed (name, status, address, SIC codes) or removed since the previous run with the same filters. The first run saves a baseline and returns nothing. Schedule this task daily to get a daily list of new companies; you only pay for the changes. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Stop after this many companies. With tracking on: the most changes delivered per run; the rest follows in the next run. Companies House returns at most 10,000 per search. You only pay for companies that are saved. ## `apiKey` (type: `string`): Not needed: leave empty to use ours. Heavy users can add their own free key from developer.company-information.service.gov.uk to get a separate rate limit and faster runs. Stored encrypted. ## Actor input object example ```json { "sicCodes": [ "10710" ], "location": "London", "incorporatedFrom": "2024-01-01", "status": [ "active" ], "onlyNew": false, "maxResults": 50 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): No description ## `summary` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "query": "", "sicCodes": [ "10710" ], "location": "London", "incorporatedFrom": "2024-01-01", "status": [ "active" ], "maxResults": 50 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("belgair/companies-house-uk-watch").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "query": "", "sicCodes": ["10710"], "location": "London", "incorporatedFrom": "2024-01-01", "status": ["active"], "maxResults": 50, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("belgair/companies-house-uk-watch").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}") for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "query": "", "sicCodes": [ "10710" ], "location": "London", "incorporatedFrom": "2024-01-01", "status": [ "active" ], "maxResults": 50 }' | apify call belgair/companies-house-uk-watch --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,belgair/companies-house-uk-watch" } } } ``` The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer ` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations). ## OpenAPI specification Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/1ip9M6PfQwr7ZJvo8/builds/7iSmHG7VAUhB2fBzX/openapi.json