Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Data API service?
The Data API service enables traders, data analysts, data scientists and programmers to programmatically access and analyze Wood Mackenzie data via RESTful APIs. It is designed to be simple and intuitive, and is based on widely accepted standards and conventions, including REST, JSON, CSV and HTTP success and error codes. If you already have experience with other publicly available RESTful APIs, you will feel right at home.
How do I access the Data API service?
The Data API service can be accessed from the Wood Mackenzie API Portal. You will need to be subscribed to the service and authenticate yourself with a logon ID and password. Contact customercare@woodmac.com if you have questions about your subscriptions and access to the Data API service.
Where can I find examples of code interacting with the Data API service?
Code samples can be found in each API reference. Sample code is available for Curl, Java, C#, Ruby, PHP, JavaScript, Python and Objective-C.
Is there an SDK available for Java, Ruby, Python, PHP, etc.?
Not at this time. We hope to make SDKs available at a future date.
Is Microsoft Excel supported via the API?
Yes. Microsoft Excel supports data retrieval using REST API endpoints. There are a number of Excel templates located in the Toolkit section of the Portal with pre-built, easy-to-use functions for retrieving specific data sets via the API.
I’m not a developer or programmer. Can I still use the Data Service API?
Absolutely. There are many non-programmer tools available for accessing and utilizing APIs. Microsoft Excel is perhaps the most popular tool and you can find a step-by-step guide in the How-To section of the Wood Mackenzie API Portal. Another popular tool used to interact with APIs in a non-programming manner is Postman.
Where do I find my API Key?
Your API key can either be accessed from the My Account page or in the API Profile section of the Wood Mackenzie API Portal. Only customers subscribed to products and services containing the Data API service will see their API key. Contact customercare@woodmac.com if you have questions about your subscriptions and access to the Data API service.
What data sets are available via the Data API Service?
Wood Mackenzie data sets are constantly being added. The current list can be accessed here.
What data formats are returned by the Data API service?
JSON and CSV are the primary supported formats. Some data sets are also available in XML.
How often is the Wood Mackenzie data updated?
Data freshness varies based on the dataset being requested and the source that it is drawn from. Each API service specifies how often the data is updated.
How far back does the Data API service go?
Please refer to each API service for details on historical availability start dates.
What if I need access to data further back than what’s provided by the Data API Service?
Contact customercare@woodmac.com to discuss options for obtaining bulk, historical data.
Is there a limit on the amount of items returned per API request?
The default limit is 200 items per a single API request, but up to 5,000 items can be returned using the optional Limit parameter. To request data beyond a specified Limit, you can simply make multiple API requests or use a pagination technique to page through the data (see question on Paging below).
How do I page through data?
By default, GET operations, which return a list of requested items, will return up to 200 items. To get a different set of items, you can use the offset and limit parameters in the query string of the GET request. There are multiple examples using code and Excel templates in the Toolkit section that demonstrate how to return large volumes of data using the API.
Is there a fee to use the Data API service?
The Data API service is included in many Wood Mackenzie subscriptions with data plans and sold as a stand-alone service as well. Additional fees may be applicable for accessing data outside the set rate limits or accessing bulk, historical data. Contact customercare@woodmac.com if you have questions about your subscriptions and access to the Data API service.
How do I get support for the Data API service?
Questions about the Data API service can be sent to customercare@woodmac.com.
What are the legal terms and conditions for the Data API service?
The terms and conditions for use of the Data API are described in your subscription MSA contract.
Are there API Rate limits for the service?
The API rate limits for the Data API service is:
- 30 requests per minute, per allotted API Key.
Contact customercare@woodmac.com for pricing options beyond the standard rate limits above.
Is there a way to see usage history for the Data API service?
Yes. You can see current day, yesterday and last 30 and 90-day history under the API Usage Analytics section of the Wood Mackenzie API Portal.
Will the Data API service change over time?
We reserve the right to change or deprecate APIs over time - we will provide customers ample notification in those cases.
Where can I submit feedback and feature requests for the API?
Please submit feedback and enhancement requests to customercare@woodmac.com.
Can I redistribute applications or code that utilizes the Data API service commercially?
The use of the Data API service is restricted to Wood Mackenzie subscribed customers’ internal use only and governed by your Wood Mackenzie subscription MSA.
What are the common errors that might be returned by an API?
The Data API service follows standard HTTP REST practices, so typical HTTP response codes apply. These include:
- 400 - Bad Request. Request had bad syntax or the parameters supplied were invalid.
- 401 - Unauthorized. API Authorization failed.
- 403 - Forbidden. You do not have permission to access the endpoint with the parameters supplied.
- 404 - Not found. Server did not find a route matching the given URI.
- 429 - Too many requests. You have exceeded the defined rate limit for your subscription.
- 500 - Server encounterd an unexpected condition which prevented it from fulfilling the request.
- 503 - Service under maintenance.