# Federal Register Document Metadata Search (`datalantern/federal-register-search`) Actor

Search FederalRegister.gov document metadata by query and publication dates, retaining links to the official PDF edition.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/datalantern/federal-register-search.md
- **Developed by:** [Data Lantern](https://apify.com/datalantern) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.50 / 1,000 delivered records

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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

## Federal Register Document Metadata Search

Search FederalRegister.gov document metadata by query and publication dates, retaining links to the official PDF edition.

### What can this tool do?

Collect a filtered list of regulatory publications and official-edition links for research or a downstream review queue.

### What data does it return?

The default dataset contains JSON rows with these overview fields: id, title, type, publicationDate, agencies, url, officialPdfUrl, legalStatus. RESULTS_CSV contains the rows delivered by this run; OUTPUT records completion, warnings and stop reason. CHECKPOINT supports best-effort resume. A completed checkpoint makes no new source request; use a fresh input without it for a fresh snapshot.

### How to use it

Provide the source inputs below. Run it through Apify, then inspect OUTPUT before consuming a partial export. If a result or request cap is reached, reuse CHECKPOINT with the same source inputs; resuming does not repeat rows already acknowledged by this export. Source changes can still move search results between pages, so it is not a historical snapshot guarantee.

```json
{
  "query": "artificial intelligence",
  "startDate": "2026-10-01",
  "endDate": "2026-10-31",
  "maxResults": 2,
  "maxRequests": 1
}
```

Metadata only: no full-text or PDF download, legal interpretation, compliance determination, comments submission or guaranteed monitoring. FederalRegister.gov is an informational rendition; verify the linked official edition. Searches are mutable and subject to the source page ceiling. Narrow filters when OUTPUT reports partial results.

### Pricing

Runs can incur Apify charges. Check the current Store pricing and spending limit before starting. Result fees apply to successfully delivered records; package notFound status rows have no result fee, although a startup fee may still apply. No synthetic default-dataset charge is used in addition to the record event.

The source API and native subscriptions are free. This Actor adds a bounded, checkpointed Apify metadata export.

### Is it legal?

Uses the documented public API without an account. Only bibliographic metadata and official source links are exported; this does not establish rights to reproduce linked copyrighted material. The tool provides no legal advice or legal notice. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.

Source documentation: https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/documentation/api/v1
Policy/context: https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/documentation/api/v1

### FAQ

**Does it retry blocks or bypass authentication?** No. Source HTTP errors stop without retries; source hosts are fixed and redirects are not followed.

**Are unknown values zero?** No. Unavailable fields stay null or cause an explicit source error. Read the source-specific limits above.

**Is the data exclusive?** No. The official source is public and has a free native alternative.

### Feedback

Use the Actor Issues tab with a small reproducible public example and the OUTPUT stop reason. Do not post tokens, personal records or confidential data.

# Actor input Schema

## `query` (type: `string`):

A nonempty search expression, at most200 characters.

## `startDate` (type: `string`):

YYYY-MM-DD; at most366 inclusive days.

## `endDate` (type: `string`):

YYYY-MM-DD; dates are publication dates.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Unique rows delivered in this run; partial output retains a checkpoint. Missing package status rows count toward this cap.

## `maxRequests` (type: `integer`):

1-10 calls per run, including a failed call. No retry after a source denial.

## `checkpoint` (type: `object`):

Paste the previous CHECKPOINT with identical source inputs. Omit for a fresh export.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "query": "artificial intelligence",
  "startDate": "2026-10-01",
  "endDate": "2026-10-31",
  "maxResults": 2,
  "maxRequests": 1
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `records` (type: `string`):

No description

## `csv` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (type: `string`):

No description

## `checkpoint` (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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("datalantern/federal-register-search").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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("datalantern/federal-register-search").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 '{}' |
apify call datalantern/federal-register-search --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,datalantern/federal-register-search"
        }
    }
}
```

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 <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` 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/7GCX6hhp6QvdUCFay/builds/e62dbihfi2ZGlyHph/openapi.json