# Is it legal to scrape SAM.gov? SAM.gov's terms of use restrict automated harvesting and the reuse of some data, notably fields derived from Dun & Bradstreet, and the site is a JavaScript application that changes without notice. Since the same public data is free through the official APIs and extracts, scraping is rarely needed and carries more risk than it saves. This is not legal advice.Checked on 2026-11-15.Official source: [SAM.gov terms of use](https://sam.gov/about/terms-of-use) | Terms of use | sam.gov/about/terms-of-use | | --- | --- | | Bulk entity data | Free extract | | Opportunities file | Nightly CSV | | Exclusions file | Daily | ## The answer in detail This is not legal advice. The practical points: the terms of use govern how you may access and reuse the data, personal API keys may not be shared, and bulk reuse of D&B-derived fields is limited. Scrapers also break when the front end changes, and output formats differ by actor.Everything a scraper would collect from public pages is in the public extract (entities), the nightly Contract Opportunities file, the daily exclusions file and USAspending's keyless API. Those are stable, documented and free.samgovapi.io is built only on those official files and APIs, not on scraping, and every record links to its SAM.gov or USAspending source. ## How the options compare | Option | Price | Access and limits | Coverage and history | Best for | Checked | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [SAM.gov scrapers (Apify actors and similar)](https://apify.com/store) | Pay per run or per result | Run-based; output varies by actor | Whatever the actor scrapes; breaks when SAM.gov changes | One-off pulls where scraping risk is acceptable | 2026-11-12 | | [SAM.gov APIs (official)](https://open.gsa.gov/api/entity-api/) | Free | 10 requests a day with no SAM.gov role, 1,000 with a role or a non-federal system account; keys expire every 90 days | The live, authoritative record: entities, opportunities, exclusions, contract awards, hierarchy, subawards | Anyone who needs the official record itself, at low volume | 2026-11-12 | | [SAM.gov entity extracts (official files)](https://open.gsa.gov/api/sam-entity-extracts-api/) | Free | Monthly full file plus daily deltas; public version needs a free key to download | Every registration in the public extract; you load and query it yourself | Data teams that want to host the whole file | 2026-11-12 | | [samgovapi.io](https://samgovapi.io/pricing) | Free (100 credits a month, no card); Developer $49/mo, Pro $149/mo, Scale $499/mo | 20 to 180 requests a minute by plan, no daily cap; REST, MCP and keyless MCP search | 881,370 entities (1 Nov 2026 extract), 74,420 notices, 169,191 exclusions, 114,954 awards since 1 Oct 2026 | Developers and AI agents who want entities, bids and exclusions joined in one API | 2026-11-15 | ## Where samgovapi.io is the weaker choice - A scraper can reach a page the moment it is published, while files here load nightly or monthly. - samgovapi.io is independent and launched in November 2026. For a legal determination (award eligibility, a debarment), check the official record on SAM.gov. ## Try it The same company a scraper would visit, as JSON from the extract, with its SAM.gov link. ``` curl "https://samgovapi.io/api/v1/entities/UAVDK5WWYDZ5" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $SAMGOVAPI_API_KEY" ``` ## Questions Are Apify SAM.gov actors allowed?That depends on how each actor accesses SAM.gov and what you do with the data; read the terms of use. The official files cover the same public data without scraping.Can I republish SAM.gov data?Public registration data is widely republished, but the terms limit reuse of some fields. Check the terms for the fields you use. ## Related - [Scrapers vs an API](https://samgovapi.io/compare/sam-gov-scrapers-vs-api) - [API docs](https://samgovapi.io/docs) - [Pricing](https://samgovapi.io/pricing) - [Answers](https://samgovapi.io/answers)Updated 2026-11-15. Sources checked 2026-11-15.Independent. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by GSA, SAM.gov or any U.S. government agency. Registering in SAM.gov is free at sam.gov.

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