# OFAC SDN Watchlist Monitor - Exact Match (`technicaldost/ofac-sdn-entity-watchlist-monitor`) Actor

Re-screen known OFAC SDN unique IDs or exact primary names against the public Treasury SDN list. Exact match only. Not identity verification and not a fuzzy name-search product. You only pay for successful checks you receive.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/technicaldost/ofac-sdn-entity-watchlist-monitor.md
- **Developed by:** [Technical Dost Solutions](https://apify.com/technicaldost) (community)
- **Categories:** Business
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$4.00 / 1,000 successful watchlist 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?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## 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.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## OFAC SDN Watchlist Monitor - Exact Match

**Re-screen SDN unique IDs or exact primary names you already hold against the public Treasury SDN list. Exact match only.**

This Actor takes a caller-owned list of known SDN `uid` values and/or exact primary names, reads the public OFAC SDN CSV, and writes one structured row per query: listed or not, matched name, type and programs. Pass the previous run's snapshot back in and you get `INITIAL`, `UNCHANGED` or `CHANGED` when listing status or programs move.

**This is not identity verification, not KYC, not AML decisioning, and not a fuzzy name-search product.** It will not score “close” names, transliterations, or “is this the same person?” questions.

***

### What this Actor does

You already have SDN unique IDs (preferred) or exact primary names copied from a prior SDN publication. You want a scheduled re-screen: still listed, programs changed, type changed — without treating the Actor as a screening engine for raw customer PII.

That is the job: **exact re-screen of known SDN identifiers**.

***

### What you get

```json
{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "id": "uid:36",
  "status": "ok",
  "uid": 36,
  "queryName": null,
  "listed": true,
  "matchedName": "CASTRO RUZ Fidel",
  "sdnType": "Individual",
  "programs": ["CUBA"],
  "publishDate": null,
  "changeType": "INITIAL",
  "changedFields": [],
  "checkedAt": "2026-09-06T12:00:00.000Z",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.treasury.gov/ofac/downloads/sdn.xml",
  "error": null
}
```

Uid `36` / the historical Castro primary name is a **public SDN example**, not a customer and not an endorsement. Prefer `uid` in production. Name match is exact against the SDN primary-name field after punctuation is stripped.

`sourceUrl` stays on the public Treasury path. The Actor follows official HTTPS redirects to retrieve the list; it does not persist signed object URLs.

***

### Main use cases

- **Known-uid re-screen.** Nightly check that SDN entries you already recorded are still present.
- **Program-code movement.** `programs` is a compared field.
- **Exact-name confirmation.** Only when you copied the SDN primary name exactly.
- **Workflow packaging.** n8n / MCP / backend job around a list you already maintain.

Do **not** send raw customer names, emails, or “does this person match the list?” jobs. Use a dedicated screening product for that.

***

### Quick start

```json
{
  "entities": [{ "uid": 36 }],
  "maxItems": 1
}
```

Run it, open the dataset, and save `NEXT_SNAPSHOT` from the default key-value store.

***

### Repeat workflow

1. Keep one entity watchlist per control process (1–50 objects). Prefer `uid`.
2. Start a bounded run. Schedule it yourself if you need a cadence.
3. Save `NEXT_SNAPSHOT` in **your** private workflow state.
4. On the next run pass it as `previousSnapshot` and set `onlyChanges: true`.
5. Route `listed` flips and `programs` changes for human review.

***

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| `entities` | array | — | 1–50 objects with `uid` (positive integer) and/or `name` (2–200 chars). Prefer `uid`. |
| `maxItems` | integer | `50` | 1–50. Must cover all unique entities. |
| `onlyChanges` | boolean | `false` | Suppress unchanged successful records without charging them. |
| `previousSnapshot` | object | — | Prior `NEXT_SNAPSHOT` with `kind: "ofac"`. |

Name match is **exact** after uppercasing and stripping punctuation. `"CASTRO RUZ, Fidel"` and `"CASTRO RUZ Fidel"` match each other. `"FIDEL CASTRO"` does not.

***

### Pricing

| Event | Price | When it happens |
|---|---|---|
| **Successful watchlist result** | **$0.004** | One successful entity check written to the dataset |
| Actor start | none | No custom start fee |

**You are not charged for:** failed downloads, parse failures, retries, duplicate entities, invalid input, or unchanged records suppressed by `onlyChanges`.

The public SDN CSV is several megabytes. One run still bills **per successful entity**, not per downloaded byte. A 10-uid re-screen is `$0.04` in event charges when all ten succeed.

#### How this compares

This Actor is **not** priced as the cheapest OFAC name-search dump. Search-oriented Store cards (2026-09-06) sit around $0.001–$0.01 per row and imply fuzzy or bulk name lookup. Use those if you need search. Use this Actor if you need **exact uid/name re-screen** with isolated snapshots.

***

### Using the API

```bash
curl --fail -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/technicaldost~ofac-sdn-entity-watchlist-monitor/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"entities":[{"uid":36}],"maxItems":1}'
```

**JavaScript**

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

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('technicaldost/ofac-sdn-entity-watchlist-monitor').call({
    entities: [{ uid: 36 }],
    maxItems: 1,
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
```

**Python**

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient
import os

client = ApifyClient(os.environ["APIFY_TOKEN"])
run = client.actor("technicaldost/ofac-sdn-entity-watchlist-monitor").call(run_input={
    "entities": [{"uid": 36}],
    "maxItems": 1,
})
for row in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(row["uid"], row["listed"], row["programs"], row["changeType"])
```

**n8n / MCP.** Server-side only. Do not send customer PII through a public agent chat.

***

### Limitations

- Exact `uid` or exact normalized primary name / alias only. No fuzzy match, no phonetics, no transliteration, no “same person” scoring.
- Not a substitute for a regulated screening vendor, legal advice, or an OFAC compliance program.
- SDN CSV/XML availability and size govern run time. Allow up to a few minutes on a cold download.
- `publishDate` is present when the XML parser is used; the CSV path may leave it `null`.
- At most 1,000 snapshot records are retained.

Source: public [OFAC SDN list](https://www.treasury.gov/ofac/downloads/sdn.csv) via official HTTPS redirects. Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of the Treasury or OFAC.

***

### Related Actors

- [GLEIF LEI Renewal Monitor](https://apify.com/technicaldost/gleif-lei-renewal-monitor) — renewal windows on LEIs you already hold.
- [UK New Company Leads Monitor](https://apify.com/technicaldost/uk-new-company-leads-monitor) — newly incorporated UK companies, new-only.

***

### Changelog

See `CHANGELOG.md`. Release 1.0.0 (2026-09-06): exact uid/name SDN re-screen, isolated snapshots, $0.004 per successful result, no start fee.

# Actor input Schema

## `entities` (type: `array`):

One to 50 objects with uid (positive integer) and/or name. Name match is exact against the official SDN primary-name field after punctuation is stripped. Prefer uid. Exact match only.

## `onlyChanges` (type: `boolean`):

Suppress unchanged successful records without charging them. The first observation is emitted.

## `previousSnapshot` (type: `object`):

Copy the previous run NEXT\_SNAPSHOT JSON here. Keep one snapshot per customer watchlist; no shared server state.

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

Bound successful checks plus item errors to at most this many records.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "entities": [
    {
      "uid": 36
    }
  ],
  "onlyChanges": false,
  "maxItems": 50
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

No description

## `nextSnapshot` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (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 = {
    "entities": [
        {
            "uid": 36
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("technicaldost/ofac-sdn-entity-watchlist-monitor").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 = { "entities": [{ "uid": 36 }] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("technicaldost/ofac-sdn-entity-watchlist-monitor").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 '{
  "entities": [
    {
      "uid": 36
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call technicaldost/ofac-sdn-entity-watchlist-monitor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,technicaldost/ofac-sdn-entity-watchlist-monitor"
        }
    }
}

```

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/p353e1bEhZcv3AHDK/builds/DOlb17duaeSxynRe9/openapi.json