SEC FORMS 3 / 4 / 5 · SOURCE-LINKED JSON
Insider trading API for SEC ownership data
Query 409,548 as-filed insider transaction rows across four SEC quarters. Filter transaction codes, issuer CIK, derivatives and footnotes; inspect sources before integrating.
Sources checked October 27, 2026 · SEC API editorial
409,548 reported transaction rows. Four source quarters.
Query the derivative and nonderivative transaction tables from SEC quarterly ownership archives. The API preserves the source accession, transaction codes, exact string values and linked footnotes. These are as-filed records, including amendments—not a reconciled history of executed trades.
Coverage checked October 27, 2026. This quarterly dataset is not a real-time trade feed. Filing-stream endpoints have a separate, polled discovery scope.
Build a purchase, sale or award query.
Choose an exact transaction code and optionally an issuer CIK. The example restricts results to Form 4. Use a separate request for Form 4/A amendments; they are not silently merged into corrected trades.
curl --fail-with-body 'https://sec-api.dev/api/v1/insider-transactions?period=2026q3&transactionCode=P&form=4&limit=5&facets=true' -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEC_API_KEY"Set SEC_API_KEY on your server. This builder does not execute requests.
Paginate safely with Python ↗ · Understand the Form 4 workflow ↗
Choose the right filters for your application.
| Parameter | What it selects | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| transactionCode=P | Exact P transaction rows | P includes open-market or private purchases; it does not prove an exchange purchase. |
| direction=A | Acquired rather than disposed | An acquisition can be an award, exercise or other event—not necessarily a purchase. |
| type=nonDerivative | Nonderivative transaction table | Keep derivative instruments separate before calculating totals. |
| hasFootnotes=true | Rows with source footnote references | Read the text before interpreting prices, ownership or plan details. |
| facets=true | Counts within all selected filters | Counts describe rows, not people, unique filings or investment returns. |
Free: 1,000 requests/month. Builder: $29/month for 50,000 requests. Scale: $99/month for 250,000 requests. Compare plans and rate limits ↗
RESEARCH CHECKLIST
From source row to usable evidence.
| Keep this field | Why it matters | Common analytical mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Accession and source row | Makes a result traceable to its filing and table. | Deduplicating unrelated records because their dates and amounts match. |
| Transaction code and direction | Separates purchases, awards, exercises and withholding. | Treating every acquisition as a discretionary purchase. |
| Derivative versus nonderivative | Keeps instrument categories distinct. | Adding option-related activity directly to common-share activity. |
| Ownership and footnotes | Preserves direct/indirect relationships and explanatory context. | Assigning a transaction to the wrong person or ignoring a qualification. |
| Snapshot and filters | Lets another analyst reproduce the same traversal. | Mixing pages across different imports or silently truncating results. |
Before you ship a screener
- Test an empty result and an invalid filter separately; they represent different outcomes.
- Store the query, snapshot and completion status next to your export.
- Inspect representative source footnotes before assigning investment meanings to codes.
- Separate filings, transaction rows, reporting owners and unique securities in every count.
Can these records establish insider trading or investment returns?
No. A disclosed transaction alone does not establish unlawful trading. Returns require additional execution, position, corporate-action and valuation information. These pages show reported activity and its source context; they do not supply a verified performance history.
Sources, coverage and next steps
SEC insider transaction archive catalog ↗ · Official Form 4 instructions ↗ · Our data-quality limits ↗
Corporate insider ownership reports do not by themselves establish illegal trading. Do not conflate this API with congressional financial disclosures.