Integrating Company Data APIs into Your Application

Building applications that leverage UK company data opens up powerful possibilities - from automated KYC workflows to intelligent sales tools. This guide covers everything you need to know about integrating company data APIs.

Why Use a Company Data API?

• Real-time data - Always up-to-date information
• Automation - Remove manual data entry
• Scale - Handle thousands of lookups effortlessly
• Consistency - Standardised data format
• Enrichment - Add company context to your applications

Common Use Cases

Customer Onboarding

Streamline business customer registration:

• Auto-populate company details from company number
• Verify company is active and legitimate
• Pre-fill address and director information
• Run instant KYC checks

Credit Decisioning

Automate credit assessments:

• Pull financial data for scoring models
• Check director history and track record
• Assess company age and stability
• Monitor for changes post-approval

Sales Intelligence

Enrich CRM data:

• Add company size and revenue data
• Identify decision-makers
• Track company growth signals
• Prioritise leads by fit

Getting Started with the CorporaOne API

Authentication

CorporaOne uses API key authentication. Include your key in the header:

Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here

Basic Company Lookup

Fetch company details by company number:

GET /api/v1/companies/{company_number}

Response:
{
  "company_number": "12345678",
  "company_name": "Example Ltd",
  "status": "active",
  "incorporation_date": "2020-01-15",
  "registered_address": {...},
  "directors": [...],
  "financials": {...}
}

Search Companies

Find companies matching criteria:

GET /api/v1/companies/search?name=example&status=active

Response:
{
  "results": [...],
  "total_count": 150,
  "page": 1
}

Best Practices

Error Handling

Always handle API errors gracefully:

• 404 - Company not found
• 429 - Rate limit exceeded
• 500 - Server error (retry with backoff)

Caching

Cache responses appropriately:

• Company basic details - cache for hours
• Financial data - cache for days
• Real-time status - minimal caching

Webhooks for Real-Time Updates

Instead of polling, use webhooks:

• Register webhook endpoints
• Subscribe to change events
• Receive instant notifications
• Update your data in real-time

SDKs and Libraries

CorporaOne provides official SDKs:

• Python - pip install corporaone
• Node.js - npm install @corporaone/sdk
• Go - go get github.com/corporaone/go-sdk

Rate Limits

API rate limits vary by plan:

• Free - 100 requests/day
• Professional - 10,000 requests/day
• Business - 100,000 requests/day
• Enterprise - Unlimited

Need higher limits? Contact us about enterprise API access with custom rate limits and SLAs.

Example: KYC Integration

Here's a simplified KYC workflow using the API:

1. Customer enters company number
2. API call to verify company exists and is active
3. Fetch director list and beneficial owners
4. Cross-reference against your risk criteria
5. Return pass/fail with details
6. Set up monitoring for future changes

Ready to start building? View our API documentation or contact us for enterprise API access.