# UK Companies House Lookup - Company, Officers, PSC & Filings (`rootcause-data/uk-companies-house-lookup`) Actor

Look up UK companies by number or name using the official Companies House API. Get status, SIC codes, accounts dates, officers, persons with significant control and recent filings as clean JSON. Pay only per company returned.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/rootcause-data/uk-companies-house-lookup.md
- **Developed by:** [laika](https://apify.com/rootcause-data) (community)
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 companies

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 - Company, Officers & PSC (Official API)

Bulk-look up UK companies through the **official Companies House API**. No scraping, no proxies, no logins.
One dataset row per company, with officers, persons with significant control (PSC) and recent filings in the same row.
Cheaper per record than the other Companies House actors on the Store.

![Company numbers in, one dataset row out (example data)](https://rootcause-data-dl.web.app/demo.gif)

### Before you run: your free Companies House key (2 minutes)

This actor calls the official API with **your own** key, so the 600 requests / 5 minutes limit is yours alone.

No key yet? Run it once with an empty input: you get one example row (marked `demo`; no company charge, only the standard actor-start event) so you can see the output before you sign up.

1. Sign in at [developer.company-information.service.gov.uk](https://developer.company-information.service.gov.uk/) (GOV.UK One Login, free).
2. **Your applications → Create an application** → environment **Live**.
3. In the application, **Create new key → REST**. Copy the key into the `apiKey` field. It is stored encrypted.

### What it does

- Give it **company numbers** (bulk) and/or **company-name searches**; get back clean, flat JSON.
- Optionally add **officers** (current and resigned), **PSC** and **filing history**.
- Duplicates across your inputs are removed; unknown company numbers come back as an `error: "not_found"` row (no `company` charge; only the platform's $0.00001 per dataset row).
- Respects the Companies House limit of 600 requests / 5 minutes and backs off on HTTP 429.

### Input

```json
{
  "companyNumbers": ["00000006", "SC123456"],
  "searchQueries": ["acme widgets"],
  "maxResultsPerQuery": 20,
  "includeOfficers": true,
  "includePsc": false,
  "includeFilingHistory": false,
  "filingHistoryLimit": 10,
  "includeOfficerBirthMonth": false,
  "activeOnly": false,
  "apiKey": "<your Companies House key>"
}
```

| Field | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| `companyNumbers` | - | Company numbers. Numeric ones shorter than 8 digits are zero-padded. |
| `searchQueries` | - | Company-name searches; top `maxResultsPerQuery` hits each (default 20). |
| `includeOfficers` | `true` | Add `officers[]`. |
| `includePsc` | `false` | Add `psc[]`. |
| `includeFilingHistory` / `filingHistoryLimit` | `false` / 10 | Add the latest `filings[]`. |
| `includeOfficerBirthMonth` | `false` | Add officer birth **month and year** (Companies House never publishes the day). |
| `activeOnly` | `false` | Skip dissolved, closed, removed and converted-closed companies. |
| `apiKey` | — | **Needed for real data** (without it: one example row, no company charge). Your free Companies House REST key (developer.company-information.service.gov.uk → register an application → create key). 600 requests / 5 min per key. Stored encrypted. |

At least one of `companyNumbers` or `searchQueries` is required.

### Output

One row per company:

`company_number`, `company_name`, `company_status`, `company_type`, `date_of_creation`, `date_of_cessation`,
`sic_codes[]`, `sic_descriptions[]`, `registered_office_address{}`,
`accounts{next_due, last_made_up_to, overdue}`, `confirmation_statement{next_due, overdue}`,
`has_charges`, `has_insolvency_history`, `jurisdiction`, `source_url`, `fetched_at`, plus, when enabled:

- `officers[]`: `name`, `officer_role`, `appointed_on`, `resigned_on`, `nationality`, `country_of_residence`, `occupation` (and `date_of_birth{month, year}` if you opt in)
- `psc[]`: `name`, `kind`, `natures_of_control[]`, `notified_on`, `ceased_on`
- `filings[]`: `date`, `category`, `description`, `transaction_id`, `links.document` (the Document API metadata link from Companies House; fetching it needs a Companies House API key)

`sic_descriptions[]` is aligned with `sic_codes[]` (from the official UK SIC 2007 list; `null` if a code is not on it).

### Pricing (pay per event)

You pay only for what you receive. Apify platform usage is included.

| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| Company row (`company`) | $0.003 |
| Officer (`officer`) | $0.001 |
| PSC (`psc`) | $0.001 |
| Filing (`filing`) | $0.0005 |
| Actor start (`apify-actor-start`) | Apify default |

Example: 1,000 companies with officers, about 3 officers each = 1,000 x $0.003 + 3,000 x $0.001 = **$6.00**.
If you set a maximum cost per run, the actor stops when it is reached and never bills for data it did not deliver.

### Data source and licence

Data comes from the [Companies House Public Data API](https://developer-specs.company-information.service.gov.uk/), the UK's statutory company register.
Companies House states that its content is available under the [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) unless otherwise stated, and that it imposes no rules on how information on the public register is used (see [Companies House data products](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/companies-house-data-products)).

> Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

This actor is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Companies House.

### Personal data (UK GDPR)

Officer and PSC names, nationalities, occupations and birth month/year are **personal data**, even though they are published on a public register. You are responsible for having a lawful basis and for complying with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 when you use them (for example in marketing, due diligence or KYC). The actor limits exposure by default: birth month/year is off unless you enable it, and it never outputs full dates of birth, addresses of officers or PSC. This is not legal advice; see the [ICO guidance](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/).

### Limits

- Companies House allows 600 requests per 5 minutes per key. The actor keeps below that (580) and retries on 429. A company with officers takes about 2 requests, so expect roughly one company per second at best.
- Companies House search returns the best matches for a name, not an exhaustive list.

Maintained by rootcause-data. Questions or a missing field? Open an issue on the Actor page.

# Actor input Schema

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

Companies House company numbers (e.g. 00000006, SC123456). Purely numeric values shorter than 8 digits are zero-padded. Duplicates are removed.

## `searchQueries` (type: `array`):

Company-name search terms. Each term returns the top results (see 'Max companies per search').

## `maxResultsPerQuery` (type: `integer`):

Maximum companies returned for each search term.

## `includeOfficers` (type: `boolean`):

Add directors, secretaries and other officers (current and resigned). Billed per officer.

## `includePsc` (type: `boolean`):

Add the persons-with-significant-control register. Billed per PSC.

## `includeFilingHistory` (type: `boolean`):

Add the most recent filings. Billed per filing.

## `filingHistoryLimit` (type: `integer`):

Maximum recent filings per company.

## `includeOfficerBirthMonth` (type: `boolean`):

Off by default (personal data, UK GDPR). Companies House publishes month and year only, never the day. Enable only if you have a lawful basis.

## `activeOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Skip dissolved, closed, removed and converted-closed companies.

## `apiKey` (type: `string`):

Needed for real data. Free from developer.company-information.service.gov.uk (register an application, then create a REST key). Without a key the run returns one example row (marked demo, no company charge). Stored encrypted. Rate limit: 600 requests / 5 minutes per key.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "companyNumbers": [
    "00000006",
    "00445790"
  ],
  "maxResultsPerQuery": 20,
  "includeOfficers": true,
  "includePsc": false,
  "includeFilingHistory": false,
  "filingHistoryLimit": 10,
  "includeOfficerBirthMonth": false,
  "activeOnly": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `companies` (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 = {
    "companyNumbers": [
        "00000006",
        "00445790"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("rootcause-data/uk-companies-house-lookup").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 = { "companyNumbers": [
        "00000006",
        "00445790",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("rootcause-data/uk-companies-house-lookup").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 '{
  "companyNumbers": [
    "00000006",
    "00445790"
  ]
}' |
apify call rootcause-data/uk-companies-house-lookup --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/gEdKLueh6asFLjucY/builds/SqKtVNyg8NnZiK2CQ/openapi.json