Using the bulk data

Please also refer to the entity structure definition and the data dictionary. Advanced users may want to learn about the statement-based data model.

Data formats

Bulk data is made available in the following formats for each data source and collection we maintain:

• FollowTheMoney-based JSON (recommended): the native format for OpenSanctions data is a graph of JSON objects.
• Simplified CSV (comma-separated values) tables: useful for using the data in spreadsheet programs like Excel.
• Names-only text files: useful for very simple cross-referencing and text search.
• Statement-based CSV exports: identifies the source, language and freshness for each claim (property value) about each entity.

If you would like to discuss a custom export format for OpenSanctions that is more suitable to your needs, please get in touch.

Updates and metadata

Bulk data exports are generated in periodic intervals (every 6-8 hours) by OpenSanctions. The timestamp of the last export (and detailed metadata about the contained datasets) can be found in the metadata index (field run_time):

https://data.opensanctions.org/datasets/latest/index.json

Polling this file in regular intervals (e.g. every 30 minutes) is the best practice method for finding out if updated data has been released.