UK Companies House Company Lookup API

UK company data from the official Companies House API, as clean JSON, CSV or Excel. You get one company-level record per company: status, SIC codes, registered office, incorporation and dissolution dates, accounts and confirmation-statement due dates with overdue flags, recent filings, a charges summary, insolvency cases, and corporate shareholders and officers. Search by name, look up company numbers in bulk, or run an advanced search by SIC code, status, incorporation date and location.

Use it to:

• Check suppliers, customers and counterparties (KYB). Is the company active? Are its accounts or confirmation statement overdue? Does it have outstanding charges or insolvency history?
• Build lead lists. For example, every active software company (SIC 62012) incorporated in Manchester this year.
• Feed AI agents. One flat schema, callable as a tool from Claude, Cursor or any MCP client (see below).

Why this actor

	This actor	Typical approach
Access	Official Companies House public data API. No key needed (ours is used), or bring your own	Register, get a key, write code for several endpoints
Record	Profile, filings, charges, insolvency, corporate officers and PSCs joined into one record	One endpoint at a time
Due dates	daysUntilDue and overdue for accounts and confirmation statements	Raw dates only
Personal data	None. Individual directors, secretaries and PSCs are never output (only counted)	Names, birth dates and addresses included
Politeness	Paced within Companies House's limit of 600 requests per 5 minutes per key, pausing when the allowance runs low	Varies
Price	$1.50 per 1,000 company records. Numbers that don't exist are free

Modes

Mode	Input	Output
search	queries: company names	Top resultsPerQuery matches per name, each as a full record
lookup	companyNumbers: e.g. 00445790, SC123456, OC301234 (leading zeros added)	One record per existing company; unknown numbers are listed in RUN_STATS.notFound and are free
advanced	sicCodes, statuses, incorporatedFrom / incorporatedTo, location, nameIncludes, companyTypes	Every match, up to maxResults

Input example

{
  "mode": "advanced",
  "sicCodes": ["62012"],
  "statuses": ["active"],
  "incorporatedFrom": "2026-01-01",
  "location": "Manchester",
  "maxResults": 200
}

How fast is it?

Each record takes up to six requests: profile, filings, officers and PSCs, plus charges and insolvency only when the company has them. Companies House allows 600 requests per 5 minutes per key, and that allowance is shared by everyone using our key. The actor sends at most one request per second, and pauses when the key's remaining allowance runs low. Expect about 15–25 records a minute.

For large or frequent pulls, add your own free Companies House API key in apiKey. It's stored as a secret input and never logged. You then get your own allowance and about twice the speed. Turning off filings, officers and PSCs speeds things up too.

Use it from Claude, Cursor or other MCP clients

Apify's MCP server exposes this actor as a tool. Add it to your client's MCP configuration (replace the token with your Apify API token):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "uk-companies-house": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?actors=crawlwren/uk-companies-house",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer <APIFY_TOKEN>" }
    }
  }
}

Then ask, for example: "Is company 00445790 active, and are its accounts overdue?" or "List active fintech companies incorporated in London since June." Each tool call is a normal run, billed per company record.

Output

Here is a sample from a real run (public, company-level data):

[
  {
    "companyNumber": "00445790",
    "companyName": "TESCO PLC",
    "status": "active",
    "statusDetail": null,
    "type": "plc",
    "subtype": null,
    "jurisdiction": "england-wales",
    "incorporatedOn": "1947-11-27",
    "dissolvedOn": null,
    "sicCodes": [
      "47110"
    ],
    "registeredOffice": {
      "premises": null,
      "line1": "Tesco House, Shire Park",
      "line2": "Kestrel Way",
      "locality": "Welwyn Garden City",
      "region": null,
      "postalCode": "AL7 1GA",
      "country": "United Kingdom",
      "poBox": null
    },
    "registeredOfficeUndeliverable": false,
    "registeredOfficeInDispute": false,
    "previousNames": [
      {
        "name": "TESCO STORES (HOLDINGS) PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY",
        "from": "1981-12-14",
        "to": "1983-08-25"
      },
      {
        "name": "TESCO STORES (HOLDINGS) LIMITED",
        "from": "1947-11-27",
        "to": "1981-12-14"
      }
    ],
    "accounts": {
      "lastMadeUpTo": "2026-02-28",
      "lastType": "group",
      "nextMadeUpTo": "2027-02-26",
      "nextDue": "2027-08-26",
      "daysUntilDue": 317,
      "overdue": false
    },
    "confirmationStatement": {
      "lastMadeUpTo": "2026-06-18",
      "nextMadeUpTo": "2027-06-18",
      "nextDue": "2027-07-02",
      "daysUntilDue": 262,
      "overdue": false
    },
    "hasCharges": false,
    "hasInsolvencyHistory": false,
    "hasBeenLiquidated": false,
    "filings": {
      "totalCount": 8372,
      "latest": [
        {
          "date": "2026-09-16",
          "category": "capital",
          "type": "SH03",
          "description": "capital-return-purchase-own-shares",
          "transactionId": "MzU0MzY3ODg5MGFkaXF6a2N4",
          "pages": 4
        },
        {
          "date": "2026-08-26",
          "category": "capital",
          "type": "SH06",
          "description": "capital-cancellation-shares",
          "transactionId": "MzUzOTMzNzQ1OWFkaXF6a2N4",
          "pages": 4
        },
        {
          "date": "2026-08-26",
          "category": "capital",
          "type": "SH06",
          "description": "capital-cancellation-shares",
          "transactionId": "MzUzOTMzNzMyN2FkaXF6a2N4",
          "pages": 4
        }
      ]
    },
    "charges": {
      "total": 0,
      "satisfied": null,
      "partSatisfied": null,
      "outstanding": 0,
      "latestCreatedOn": null,
      "outstandingClassifications": []
    },
    "insolvencyCases": null,
    "officers": {
      "activeCount": 11,
      "resignedCount": 63,
      "individualOfficersWithheld": 74,
      "corporate": []
    },
    "pscs": {
      "activeCount": 0,
      "ceasedCount": 0,
      "individualPscsWithheld": 0,
      "corporate": []
    },
    "url": "https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00445790",
    "dataSource": "companies_house_api",
    "licence": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Companies House. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Companies House.",
    "licenceUrl": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "scrapedAt": "2026-10-13T17:15:13+00:00"
  },
  {
    "companyNumber": "05888957",
    "companyName": "TESCO AQUA (FINCO2) LIMITED",
    "status": "dissolved",
    "statusDetail": null,
    "type": "ltd",
    "subtype": null,
    "jurisdiction": "england-wales",
    "incorporatedOn": "2006-07-27",
    "dissolvedOn": "2025-11-12",
    "sicCodes": [
      "70100"
    ],
    "registeredOffice": {
      "premises": null,
      "line1": "1 More London Place",
      "line2": null,
      "locality": "London",
      "region": null,
      "postalCode": "SE1 2AF",
      "country": null,
      "poBox": null
    },
    "registeredOfficeUndeliverable": false,
    "registeredOfficeInDispute": false,
    "previousNames": [],
    "accounts": {
      "lastMadeUpTo": "2024-02-24",
      "lastType": "dormant",
      "nextMadeUpTo": null,
      "nextDue": null,
      "daysUntilDue": null,
      "overdue": false
    },
    "confirmationStatement": {
      "lastMadeUpTo": "2024-06-08",
      "nextMadeUpTo": null,
      "nextDue": null,
      "daysUntilDue": null,
      "overdue": false
    },
    "hasCharges": false,
    "hasInsolvencyHistory": true,
    "hasBeenLiquidated": false,
    "filings": {
      "totalCount": 88,
      "latest": [
        {
          "date": "2025-11-12",
          "category": "gazette",
          "type": "GAZ2",
          "description": "gazette-dissolved-liquidation",
          "transactionId": "MzQ4ODM1MzE1OGFkaXF6a2N4",
          "pages": 1
        },
        {
          "date": "2025-08-12",
          "category": "insolvency",
          "type": "LIQ13",
          "description": "liquidation-voluntary-members-return-of-final-meeting",
          "transactionId": "MzQ3NjM3MDUxMWFkaXF6a2N4",
          "pages": 12
        },
        {
          "date": "2025-05-02",
          "category": "insolvency",
          "type": "600",
          "description": "liquidation-voluntary-appointment-of-liquidator",
          "transactionId": "MzQ2MzgzMDE5MWFkaXF6a2N4",
          "pages": 11
        }
      ]
    },
    "charges": {
      "total": 0,
      "satisfied": null,
      "partSatisfied": null,
      "outstanding": 0,
      "latestCreatedOn": null,
      "outstandingClassifications": []
    },
    "insolvencyCases": [
      {
        "type": "members-voluntary-liquidation",
        "number": "1",
        "dates": [
          {
            "type": "wound-up-on",
            "date": "2025-02-27"
          },
          {
            "type": "dissolved-on",
            "date": "2025-11-12"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "officers": {
      "activeCount": 0,
      "resignedCount": 11,
      "individualOfficersWithheld": 11,
      "corporate": [
        {
          "name": "TESCO SECRETARIES LIMITED",
          "role": "corporate-secretary",
          "appointedOn": "2013-10-15",
          "resignedOn": null,
          "identification": {
            "type": "uk-limited-company",
            "registrationNumber": "08730224",
            "placeRegistered": null,
            "countryRegistered": null,
            "legalForm": null,
            "legalAuthority": null
          }
        },
        {
          "name": "TESCO SERVICES LIMITED",
          "role": "corporate-director",
          "appointedOn": "2014-08-04",
          "resignedOn": null,
          "identification": {
            "type": "uk-limited-company",
            "registrationNumber": "7600956",
            "placeRegistered": null,
            "countryRegistered": null,
            "legalForm": null,
            "legalAuthority": null
          }
        },
        {
          "name": "PAILEX SECRETARIES LIMITED",
          "role": "corporate-secretary",
          "appointedOn": "2006-07-27",
          "resignedOn": "2006-07-27",
          "identification": null
        }
      ]
    },
    "pscs": {
      "activeCount": 1,
      "ceasedCount": 0,
      "individualPscsWithheld": 0,
      "corporate": [
        {
          "name": "Tesco Property Holdings (No. 2) Limited",
          "kind": "corporate-entity-person-with-significant-control",
          "notifiedOn": "2016-04-06",
          "ceasedOn": null,
          "naturesOfControl": [
            "ownership-of-shares-75-to-100-percent",
            "voting-rights-75-to-100-percent",
            "right-to-appoint-and-remove-directors"
          ],
          "identification": {
            "type": null,
            "registrationNumber": "05888922",
            "placeRegistered": "Companies House",
            "countryRegistered": "England",
            "legalForm": "Limited By Shares",
            "legalAuthority": "United Kingdom (England)"
          }
        }
      ]
    },
    "url": "https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05888957",
    "dataSource": "companies_house_api",
    "licence": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Companies House. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Companies House.",
    "licenceUrl": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "scrapedAt": "2026-10-13T17:15:12+00:00"
  }
]

Key fields: companyNumber, companyName, status, type, jurisdiction, incorporatedOn, dissolvedOn, sicCodes, registeredOffice, accounts (nextDue, daysUntilDue, overdue, last accounts type), confirmationStatement, hasCharges, hasInsolvencyHistory, filings, charges (counts only), insolvencyCases (types and dates), officers.corporate, pscs.corporate, url, licence.

Personal data

Companies House publishes personal details of directors and people with significant control. This actor deliberately leaves them out:

• Individual officers and individual PSCs are never output: no names, birth dates, nationalities or addresses. Only their counts are given (individualOfficersWithheld, individualPscsWithheld).
• Lender names on charges and insolvency practitioner names aren't output.
• The registered office is a company address. Its "care of" line is dropped.

Pricing

Pay-per-event: you pay per company record delivered.

Event	Price	What it is
Run start	$0.0005	Charged once per run (covers start-up compute).
Company record	$0.0015 ($1.50 per 1,000)	One company-level record delivered to the dataset. Company numbers that don't exist are free.

Examples:

• Checking 1,000 suppliers by company number costs about $1.50.
• A weekly list of 50 new companies in your SIC codes costs about $0.08 a week.

Data source and licence

The data comes from the Companies House public data API. It contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and every record carries this attribution in its licence field. This actor is not affiliated with or endorsed by Companies House.

FAQ

Do I need a Companies House API key? No. Ours is used by default. Add your own for big jobs or more speed.

Why aren't directors' names included? Our rule is to keep personal data out of results. You get company-level facts and corporate officers and shareholders only. If you need individuals' details, use the official register directly and make sure you have a lawful basis.

How current is the data? It's live from the Companies House API at run time.

What counts as overdue? It's Companies House's own overdue flag. daysUntilDue is negative when the due date has passed.

Why is a company number not found? It doesn't exist, or it was dissolved long enough ago that it has been removed from the register. Not-found numbers are listed in RUN_STATS.notFound and are not charged.

Can I check EU or global companies? Use our sibling actor GLEIF LEI Lookup for any company with an LEI.

Support

Found a bug or need a field? Open an issue on the actor's Issues tab or email hello@crawlwren.com. Built and maintained by Crawlwren.