# UK Companies House Search: Companies by SIC, Postcode, Date (`itayozer9/uk-companies-house-companies`) Actor

Search every live UK company on the Companies House register by SIC code, incorporation date, postcode, town, name or status, or look up company numbers and names. Address, SIC, accounts and charges data. No API key. No officers, directors or owners.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/itayozer9/uk-companies-house-companies.md
- **Developed by:** [Itay Ozer](https://apify.com/itayozer9) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Lead generation, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.50 / 1,000 company returneds

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

## UK Companies House Search: Companies by SIC, Postcode, Date

Find UK companies on the Companies House register by industry (SIC code), incorporation date, postcode, town, words in the name, status or company type. Or hand it a list of company numbers or company names and get each company's registered details back. Built for lead lists, market sizing, KYB checks and enriching a CRM.

The data is the official Companies House **Free Company Data Product**: the monthly snapshot of every live company on the public register (about 5.7 million). It is loaded into a fast local index when the actor is built, so a run makes no calls to Companies House: no API key, no rate limits, no blocked requests, and results in seconds.

### What you get

For every company:

- Company number, name, status (Active, Liquidation, Proposal to Strike off...) and type (Ltd, PLC, LLP...)
- Incorporation date, and the dissolution date where one is set
- Registered office address: lines 1 and 2, PO box, post town, county, country, postcode
- SIC codes with their descriptions (up to 4)
- Accounts: category of the last accounts (micro entity, small, full, dormant...), reference date, last made up to, next due
- Confirmation statement: last made up to, next due
- Charges (mortgages): total, outstanding, part satisfied, satisfied
- Previous names with the date of each change
- A link to the company's live page on Companies House
- The snapshot date, so you always know how fresh the row is

No people: officers, directors and persons with significant control are left out on purpose, and so is the register's separate care-of name field. Address lines are kept as filed, so a few (under 1% of rows in our test runs) start with "C/O" and the name of an accountant or office provider.

### Input

All fields are optional. With no filters you get the newest companies on the register.

| Field | Example | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| `sicCodes` | `["62020"]` | Industry. A short code is a prefix: `"62"` is every code from 62000 to 62999 |
| `incorporatedFrom` / `incorporatedTo` | `"2026-09-01"` / `"2026-09-30"` | Incorporation date window |
| `postcodes` | `["M", "SW1", "EC1V", "SW1A 1AA"]` | Area, district, sector or full postcode of the registered office. `"SW1"` also covers SW1A to SW1Y. The space in a full postcode is optional |
| `towns` | `["LONDON", "LEEDS"]` | Post town of the registered office |
| `nameKeywords` | `"green energy"` | Every word must be in the name. `tech*` matches words that start with tech |
| `statuses` | `["Active"]` | Company status |
| `companyTypes` | `["Private Limited Company"]` | Company type |
| `excludeDormant` | `true` | Skip companies that file dormant accounts |
| `companyNumbers` | `["00445790", "SC123456"]` | Look up these numbers (leading zeros optional). Order is kept. Entries that cannot be a company number are skipped at no charge |
| `companyNames` | `["Tesco PLC"]` | Match these names to their companies. Ignores case, punctuation, & versus and, Ltd versus Limited |
| `maxItems` | `500` | Most companies to return, 1 to 50,000. Default 100 for a search, one per lookup |

Filters combine with AND. Search results come newest incorporation first.

New IT consultancies in Greater Manchester registered in September 2026:

```json
{
    "sicCodes": ["62020"],
    "postcodes": ["M"],
    "incorporatedFrom": "2026-09-01",
    "incorporatedTo": "2026-09-30",
    "maxItems": 1000
}
```

Enrich a list of company numbers:

```json
{
    "companyNumbers": ["00445790", "SC421617", "OC458685"]
}
```

### Output example

```json
{
    "companyNumber": "00445790",
    "companyName": "TESCO PLC",
    "status": "Active",
    "companyType": "Public Limited Company",
    "incorporatedOn": "1947-11-27",
    "dissolvedOn": null,
    "countryOfOrigin": "United Kingdom",
    "addressLine1": "TESCO HOUSE, SHIRE PARK",
    "addressLine2": "KESTREL WAY",
    "poBox": null,
    "postTown": "WELWYN GARDEN CITY",
    "county": null,
    "country": "UNITED KINGDOM",
    "postcode": "AL7 1GA",
    "sicCodes": ["47110"],
    "sicDescriptions": ["Retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating"],
    "accountsCategory": "GROUP",
    "accountsRefDay": 26,
    "accountsRefMonth": 2,
    "accountsLastMadeUpTo": "2026-02-28",
    "accountsNextDue": "2027-08-26",
    "confirmationStatementLastMadeUpTo": "2026-06-18",
    "confirmationStatementNextDue": "2027-07-02",
    "chargesTotal": 9,
    "chargesOutstanding": 2,
    "chargesPartSatisfied": 0,
    "chargesSatisfied": 7,
    "limitedPartnersGeneral": 0,
    "limitedPartnersLimited": 0,
    "previousNames": [],
    "companiesHouseUrl": "https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00445790",
    "matchedQuery": "00445790",
    "snapshotDate": "2026-10-01"
}
```

Fields Companies House leaves empty are `null`, never guessed. Download the dataset as JSON, CSV or Excel from the run page.

### Pricing

You pay per company returned, plus a tiny start fee per run:

| Event | Price | When |
|---|---|---|
| Company | $0.0015 | Every company in your dataset |
| Actor start | $0.00005 | Once per run |

1,000 companies cost $1.50. Lookups that find nothing and invalid company numbers are free.

The actor reads your run's maximum charge before it starts and returns only as many companies as that covers, so a run never goes over the limit you set.

### Limits

- **Monthly data.** Companies House publishes the snapshot within 5 working days of each month end, with data up to that month end. A company registered or changed after that date shows up in the next snapshot. Every row carries `snapshotDate`; follow `companiesHouseUrl` for today's record.
- **Live companies only.** Dissolved companies are not in the snapshot, so a dissolved company's number is reported as not found.
- **No people and no filings.** No directors, PSCs, filing history, charge details or financial figures from accounts.
- Up to 50,000 companies per run, and up to 10,000 numbers or names per lookup run. A typical run takes a few seconds; large runs take longer because each row is written to your dataset.

### FAQ

**Where does the data come from?**
From the Companies House Free Company Data Product (https://download.companieshouse.gov.uk/en_output.html), the official monthly snapshot of the live register. Companies House says it imposes no rules on how register information is used. You are still responsible for data protection rules that apply to your own use.

**Do I need a Companies House API key?**
No. The actor never calls the Companies House API.

**Why did I get fewer companies than `maxItems`?**
Fewer companies matched your filters, or your run's maximum charge covered fewer companies.

**Why is a company missing?**
It was dissolved, or it was registered after the snapshot date. The log lists every lookup that was not found and every entry that is not a company number.

**How do SIC code prefixes work?**
SIC 2007 codes have 5 digits. `"62"` returns every company with any code from 62000 to 62999 (computer programming, consultancy and related activities). `"62020"` returns only that code.

**Can I schedule it or call it from an AI agent?**
Yes. It runs with limited permissions, so it needs no access to your other Apify data, and it works from schedules, the API and MCP clients. Example: run it on the 8th of each month with last month's dates to get every new company in your target industries.

**Is there personal data in the results?**
The results are about companies: registered office addresses, industry codes and filing dates. Officer and owner details are not included, and the separate care-of field is left out. A small company's registered office can be its owner's home, and a few address lines name an accountant "care of". You are responsible for data protection rules in your own use.

**Something broke or a field is missing. What do I do?**
Open an issue on the Issues tab with your run link.

# Actor input Schema

## `sicCodes` (type: `array`):

Companies with any of these SIC codes. A short code is a prefix: "62" is all of 62000 to 62999 (computer programming and IT), "620" narrows it, "62020" is one exact code. Up to 200 codes.

## `incorporatedFrom` (type: `string`):

Date like 2026-09-01. Use it with "Incorporated on or before" to get the companies registered in a month: new-company leads.

## `incorporatedTo` (type: `string`):

Date like 2026-09-30.

## `postcodes` (type: `array`):

Postcode area, district, sector or full postcode: "M" is all of Manchester's M1 to M99, "EC1V" one district, "SW1" covers SW1A to SW1Y, "SW1A 1" is a sector, "SW1A 1AA" one postcode (the space is optional). Up to 500.

## `towns` (type: `array`):

Post towns as Companies House stores them, for example LONDON, MANCHESTER, GLASGOW. Case does not matter. Up to 500.

## `nameKeywords` (type: `string`):

Every word must appear in the name as a whole word, for example "bakery" or "green energy". End a word with \* to match its start: "tech\*" finds TECH, TECHNOLOGY, TECHNICAL.

## `statuses` (type: `array`):

Keep only these statuses. Empty keeps all. The snapshot holds live companies only: dissolved companies are not in it.

## `companyTypes` (type: `array`):

Keep only these types. Empty keeps all.

## `excludeDormant` (type: `boolean`):

Leave out companies that file dormant accounts or use SIC 99999 (dormant company).

## `companyNumbers` (type: `array`):

Company numbers to look up instead of searching, for example 00445790 or SC123456 (leading zeros may be left out). Results keep your order. Up to 10,000. Numbers not in the snapshot, and entries that are not company numbers, are listed in the log and cost nothing. Other filters still apply.

## `companyNames` (type: `array`):

Company names to match to their company number. Matching ignores case, punctuation, "&" versus "and" and Ltd versus Limited. Up to 10,000. Names with no match are listed in the log and cost nothing. Use either numbers or names in one run.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Most companies to return, newest incorporation first (1 to 50,000). Default: 100 for a search, or one per lookup. You pay only for companies returned.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "sicCodes": [
    "62020"
  ],
  "excludeDormant": false,
  "maxItems": 20
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

One item per company, newest incorporation first (lookups keep your order).

# 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 = {
    "sicCodes": [
        "62020"
    ],
    "maxItems": 20
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("itayozer9/uk-companies-house-companies").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 = {
    "sicCodes": ["62020"],
    "maxItems": 20,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("itayozer9/uk-companies-house-companies").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 '{
  "sicCodes": [
    "62020"
  ],
  "maxItems": 20
}' |
apify call itayozer9/uk-companies-house-companies --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,itayozer9/uk-companies-house-companies"
        }
    }
}
```

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/dLgoIiOg1DfQ5ROe8/builds/0kRHap4nYqJTpfcgr/openapi.json