# Companies House Scraper & API: UK Company Search by SIC Code (`stazis/companies-house-api`) Actor

Build UK company lists from the official Companies House register (~5.7M companies, monthly bulk data): filter by name, SIC code, postcode, town, status and incorporation date. New-company leads and CRM enrichment. No API key, no rate limits.

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

## Pricing

from $2.00 / 1,000 company results

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

## Companies House Scraper & API: UK Company Lists by SIC Code

Search **all ~5.7 million companies on the UK register** using the **official Companies House bulk data** (Basic Company Data, refreshed monthly, Open Government Licence v3.0). Filter by name, SIC code, postcode, town, status, company type and incorporation date, and get one clean row per company with its number, registered address, SIC codes and key dates.

- **Who it's for:** B2B lead generation (e.g. new IT companies in London this month), CRM enrichment, market sizing and KYB checks.
- **Source:** the official free Companies House bulk file. No API key, no 600-requests-per-5-minutes limit, no scraping.
- **Freshness:** monthly snapshot from Companies House; directors and filings are not included.
- **Output:** JSON, CSV or Excel; pay per company returned (see the Pricing tab).

### Quick start (one click)

Open the Actor and press **Start**: the form is prefilled with this input.

```json
{
  "nameContains": [],
  "sicCodes": [
    "62012"
  ],
  "postcodePrefixes": [
    "EC1"
  ],
  "statuses": [
    "Active"
  ],
  "incorporatedFrom": "2026-09-01",
  "maxItems": 20
}
```

Sample output (one row, more fields in the dataset):

| companyName | companyNumber | status | category | countryOfOrigin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1UPTREE LTD | 17450976 | Active | Private Limited Company | United Kingdom |

### Use cases

**New-company leads by sector and area.** Software companies incorporated this month in a London postcode area.

```json
{"sicCodes": ["62012"], "postcodePrefixes": ["EC1"], "statuses": ["Active"], "incorporatedFrom": "2026-09-01", "maxItems": 500}
```

**CRM enrichment by company number.** Status, address, SIC codes and accounts dates for companies you already have.

```json
{"companyNumbers": ["00445790", "SC005336"]}
```

**Compliance watch: overdue accounts.** Active companies in a town with overdue accounts.

```json
{"postTowns": ["LEEDS"], "statuses": ["Active"], "accountsOverdue": true, "maxItems": 200}
```

**Market sizing.** Count active companies with a SIC code across the UK.

```json
{"sicCodes": ["56101"], "statuses": ["Active"], "maxItems": 10000}
```

### Features and details of this Companies House API

Search all ~5.7 million companies on the UK register using the **official free Companies House bulk data** (Basic Company Data, refreshed monthly, Open Government Licence v3.0). No API key, no 600-requests-per-5-minutes limit, no scraping.

#### Filters

- `nameContains`: substrings matched against the company name
- `companyNumbers`: exact lookups
- `sicCodes`: industry prefixes (`62` = IT, `56101` = restaurants)
- `postcodePrefixes`, `postTowns`
- `statuses` (Active, Liquidation, …), `categories` (Private Limited Company, LLP, …)
- `incorporatedFrom` / `incorporatedTo`: new-company leads
- `accountsOverdue`: companies whose accounts are past due
- `maxItems`, `parts` (1–7, for sharding)

#### Notes

The data is a monthly snapshot (the date is in the file name). Directors and PSC data are not in this product. Source: https://download.companieshouse.gov.uk/en_output.html. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

### How to use the Companies House API

1. Open the Actor, fill in the input form (or paste the JSON below).
2. Click **Start**. Results land in the dataset as JSON, CSV, Excel or via the Apify API.
3. For alerts or regular refreshes, add an Apify **Schedule**. You can cap spend with "Max charge per run".

### Input example

Real input of cloud run `nyra460oJ3DBknQyD` (2026-10-22/23):

```json
{
  "sicCodes": [
    "62012"
  ],
  "postcodePrefixes": [
    "EC1"
  ],
  "statuses": [
    "Active"
  ],
  "incorporatedFrom": "2026-08-01",
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

### Output example

Real rows from that run (10 results, 6.8 s) (long titles shortened in the table):

| number | name | incorporated | postcode | SIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17450976 | 1UPTREE LTD | 2026-09-10 | EC1V 2NX | 62012, 62020 |
| 17455867 | 31TWELVE LTD | 2026-09-14 | EC1V 2NX | 62012, 62090 |
| 17490143 | 3RD UNICORN LTD | 2026-09-30 | EC1V 2NX | 62012, 70229, 73110 |
| 17437429 | 3XAYA LTD | 2026-09-04 | EC1V 2NX | 58290, 62012, 62020 |
| 17480946 | 4042 SOLUTIONS GROUP UK LTD | 2026-09-25 | EC1V 2NX | 62012 |
| 17448470 | 47 STUDIO INTERNATIONAL LIMITED | 2026-09-09 | EC1V 2NX | 59112, 62012, 63120, 74100 |

One full record:

```json
{
  "companyName": "1UPTREE LTD",
  "companyNumber": "17450976",
  "status": "Active",
  "category": "Private Limited Company",
  "countryOfOrigin": "United Kingdom",
  "incorporationDate": "2026-09-10",
  "dissolutionDate": null,
  "registeredAddress": {
    "line1": "128 CITY ROAD",
    "postTown": "LONDON",
    "country": "UNITED KINGDOM",
    "postCode": "EC1V 2NX"
  },
  "sicCodes": [
    "62012",
    "62020"
  ],
  "sicDescriptions": [
    "62012 - Business and domestic software development",
    "62020 - Information technology consultancy activities"
  ],
  "accounts": {
    "category": "NO ACCOUNTS FILED",
    "nextDue": "2028-06-10",
    "lastMadeUp": null
  },
  "confirmationStatement": {
    "nextDue": "2027-10-08",
    "lastMadeUp": null
  },
  "mortgages": {
    "charges": 0,
    "outstanding": 0
  },
  "previousNames": [],
  "url": "https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/17450976"
}
```

Many new companies share a formation-agent address (here 128 City Road, EC1V 2NX), so a postcode filter is not proof of a real office there.

### FAQ

#### How fresh is the Companies House data?

It is the official monthly Basic Company Data snapshot, so a company registered yesterday may not appear until the next release.

#### Does it include directors or PSCs?

No. Officers and persons with significant control are not in this product, so the output has no personal data beyond what appears in a registered company name.

#### Do I need a Companies House API key?

No. The Actor downloads the free bulk files, so the 600-requests-per-5-minutes API limit does not apply.

#### How much does it cost?

$2 per 1,000 companies plus $0.01 per run.

#### Are there limits I should know about?

Yes. Results are only as complete and current as the official source. If a source is down, the run logs the error instead of returning made-up data. Report problems in the Issues tab.

### Use it from code, AI agents and automations

The same input as the form above works everywhere. Results are the run's dataset (JSON, CSV, Excel). You need an Apify API token (Console → Settings → API & Integrations).

**Python** (`pip install apify-client`)

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("stazis/companies-house-api").call(run_input={
  "sicCodes": [
    "62012"
  ],
  "postcodePrefixes": [
    "EC1"
  ],
  "statuses": [
    "Active"
  ],
  "incorporatedFrom": "2026-09-01",
  "maxItems": 20
})
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():  # apify-client < 3: run["defaultDatasetId"]
    print(item)
```

**JavaScript / TypeScript** (`npm i apify-client`)

```js
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('stazis/companies-house-api').call({
  "sicCodes": [
    "62012"
  ],
  "postcodePrefixes": [
    "EC1"
  ],
  "statuses": [
    "Active"
  ],
  "incorporatedFrom": "2026-09-01",
  "maxItems": 20
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
```

**HTTP, one call** (waits for the run, up to 5 minutes, and returns the items)

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/stazis~companies-house-api/run-sync-get-dataset-items" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"sicCodes": ["62012"], "postcodePrefixes": ["EC1"], "statuses": ["Active"], "incorporatedFrom": "2026-09-01", "maxItems": 20}'
```

**AI agents (MCP).** This Actor runs with limited permissions, so AI agents can use it through the hosted Apify MCP server (Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and other MCP clients). Add this to your MCP client config and sign in with Apify on first use:

```json
{ "mcpServers": { "companies-house-api": { "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=stazis/companies-house-api" } } }
```

Agents without an Apify account can pay per run in USDC through [agi.apify.com](https://agi.apify.com) (x402). Pricing is pay-per-event, so an agent pays only for the results it gets.

**LangChain** (`pip install langchain-apify`, set `APIFY_TOKEN`): `from langchain_apify import ApifyActorsTool` and `tool = ApifyActorsTool("stazis/companies-house-api")` gives your agent this Actor as a tool.

**No-code and scheduling:** use the Apify app in Make, n8n or Zapier ("Run an Actor", then pick `stazis/companies-house-api`), or create a Schedule in Apify Console to run it daily and send results to a webhook, Slack or Google Drive through Apify integrations.

### Other data APIs by stazis

- [Greenhouse, Lever & Ashby Jobs Scraper API](https://apify.com/stazis/ats-jobs-api): Scrape job postings from company career sites via official Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, Workable, SmartRecruiters and Recruitee job-board APIs.
- [Grants.gov & SAM.gov API: US Federal Grants and Contracts](https://apify.com/stazis/gov-opportunities-api): Get US federal grant opportunities from Grants.
- [SEC EDGAR Filings Scraper API: 8-K, 10-K, Full-Text Search](https://apify.com/stazis/sec-edgar-filings-api): Search SEC EDGAR filings by full text, form type (8-K, 10-K, 10-Q, S-1, Form D), date and state, or list recent filings for any ticker or CIK.
- [Bulk WHOIS & RDAP Domain Lookup API: Expiry, DNS](https://apify.com/stazis/domain-rdap-api): Bulk domain lookup via official RDAP (the WHOIS successor) plus live DNS: registrar, status, created/updated/expiry dates, nameservers, DNSSEC, A/AAAA/MX/NS/TXT records.
- [OpenAlex API: Scholarly Paper Search, Citations, Abstracts](https://apify.com/stazis/openalex-works-api): Search 250M+ scholarly papers from OpenAlex (CC0): title, DOI, year, venue, open-access link, citation count, authors, institutions, topics and abstract.

# Actor input Schema

## `nameContains` (type: `array`):

Keep companies whose name contains any of these texts (case-insensitive), e.g. 'robotics', 'bakery'.

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

Exact Companies House numbers to look up, e.g. 00445790. Leading zeros matter.

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

SIC 2007 codes or prefixes: '62' matches all IT (62011–62090), '62012' = software development, '56101' = restaurants.

## `postcodePrefixes` (type: `array`):

Registered-office postcode prefixes, e.g. EC1, M1, SW1A. Many new firms use a formation agent's address.

## `postTowns` (type: `array`):

Registered-office post towns, e.g. LONDON, MANCHESTER (case-insensitive).

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

Company statuses to keep, e.g. Active, Liquidation, 'Active - Proposal to Strike off'. Empty = any status.

## `categories` (type: `array`):

Company types to keep, e.g. 'Private Limited Company', 'Limited Liability Partnership', 'PRI/LTD BY GUAR/NSC (Private, limited by guarantee, no share capital)'. Empty = any.

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

Only companies incorporated on or after this date (YYYY-MM-DD). Use with a recent date for new-company leads.

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

Only companies incorporated on or before this date (YYYY-MM-DD).

## `accountsOverdue` (type: `boolean`):

Keep only companies whose annual accounts are overdue (the next-due date has passed).

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

Maximum number of companies returned. Also caps the cost.

## `parts` (type: `array`):

Advanced: which of the 7 bulk-file parts (1–7) to scan. Leave empty to search the whole register.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "nameContains": [],
  "sicCodes": [
    "62012"
  ],
  "postcodePrefixes": [
    "EC1"
  ],
  "statuses": [
    "Active"
  ],
  "incorporatedFrom": "2026-09-01",
  "accountsOverdue": false,
  "maxItems": 20
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (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 = {
    "nameContains": [],
    "sicCodes": [
        "62012"
    ],
    "postcodePrefixes": [
        "EC1"
    ],
    "statuses": [
        "Active"
    ],
    "incorporatedFrom": "2026-09-01",
    "maxItems": 20
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("stazis/companies-house-api").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 = {
    "nameContains": [],
    "sicCodes": ["62012"],
    "postcodePrefixes": ["EC1"],
    "statuses": ["Active"],
    "incorporatedFrom": "2026-09-01",
    "maxItems": 20,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("stazis/companies-house-api").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 '{
  "nameContains": [],
  "sicCodes": [
    "62012"
  ],
  "postcodePrefixes": [
    "EC1"
  ],
  "statuses": [
    "Active"
  ],
  "incorporatedFrom": "2026-09-01",
  "maxItems": 20
}' |
apify call stazis/companies-house-api --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/K1RHz2eGgkfeBS37f/builds/5ruabOzxBLc9gRpqY/openapi.json