> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.civiccontracts.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# API overview

> Civic AI API for programmatic access to government contract search, awards data, and procurement intelligence — getting started and authentication.

The Civic AI API lets developers and data teams integrate procurement search and intelligence into internal tools, CRMs, and analytics workflows.

<Note>
  API access is rolling out by plan. Check [Pricing](https://www.civiccontracts.com/pricing) and contact **[contact@civiccontracts.com](mailto:contact@civiccontracts.com)** for early access if you do not yet see API keys in your dashboard.
</Note>

## What you can build

| Use case                | Example                                                |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **CRM enrichment**      | Push matching solicitations into Salesforce or HubSpot |
| **Internal dashboards** | Feed award data to a BI tool                           |
| **Custom alerts**       | Trigger Slack or Teams notifications on new matches    |
| **Research automation** | Batch-query vendors and agencies for capture reports   |

## Open data client

For public procurement datasets and experimental endpoints, use our open-source client:

```bash theme={null}
pip install civiccontracts-data
```

```bash theme={null}
npm install @puremetall/civiccontracts-data
```

<Card title="civiccontracts-data on GitHub" icon="github" href="https://github.com/puremetall/civiccontracts-data">
  Python and TypeScript SDK, examples, and schema docs.
</Card>

## Authentication

Product API keys are issued from your Civic AI dashboard under Settings. Include the key in the `Authorization` header:

```bash theme={null}
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.civiccontracts.com/v1/search?q=cybersecurity+RFQ"
```

<Warning>
  Keep API keys secret. Do not commit them to public repositories or expose them in client-side browser code.
</Warning>

## Base URL

```
https://api.civiccontracts.com/v1
```

Exact endpoints and OpenAPI specifications will be published here as they stabilize. Subscribe to repo releases on [GitHub](https://github.com/puremetall/civiccontracts-data) for SDK updates.

## Rate limits and fair use

Rate limits depend on your plan tier. Contact support for enterprise throughput, dedicated indexes, or bulk export needs.

## Related pages

* [Data sources](/reference/data-sources)
* [API product page](https://www.civiccontracts.com/api)
* [Search basics](/search-basics)