# How can I get around the SAM.gov API limit of 10 requests a day? Get a role in a registered SAM.gov entity or a non-federal system account and the official limit rises from 10 to 1,000 requests a day. If that is still too few, load the free monthly entity extract yourself, or call an API built on that extract, which has per-minute limits instead of a daily cap. Federal system accounts get 10,000.Checked on 2026-11-15.Official source: [open.gsa.gov Entity Management API](https://open.gsa.gov/api/entity-api/) | No-role limit | 10 requests a day | | --- | --- | | With a role or system account | 1,000 requests a day | | Entity API page size | 10 records, first 10,000 reachable | | Key lifetime | 90 days | ## The answer in detail The 10-a-day limit applies to a personal API key from a SAM.gov user with no role in any registered entity. Most contractors already have a role in their own registration, so the first fix is to generate the key from that account: open.gsa.gov lists 1,000 requests a day for a non-federal user with a role, and the same for a non-federal system account. Federal system accounts get 10,000.The daily cap is only one of the limits. The Entity Management API returns 10 records per page and stops after the first 10,000 results of a query, so even 1,000 calls a day cannot page through a large NAICS or state slice. That is why most teams that need volume download the public extract, a free monthly file of every public registration, and query their own copy.Running the extract yourself means a loader, a database and a monthly refresh. samgovapi.io does that part and serves it with per-minute limits (20 a minute on the free plan, 60 on Developer) and up to 100 rows per call. ## How the options compare | Option | Price | Access and limits | Coverage and history | Best for | Checked | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [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 | | [GovCon API (govconapi.com)](https://govconapi.com/pricing) | Developer $19/mo, Pro $39/mo; 14-day trial | 1,000 requests an hour (50 a minute burst); trial 50 a day | 12,265,150 contracts and 758,552 opportunities from FY2025; 904,090 entities, monthly | Developers who want the lowest entry price and FY2025+ history | 2026-11-15 | | [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 - Entity data comes from the SAM.gov monthly public extract (this one dated 1 Nov 2026; the next is due about 17 Dec 2026), so a registration renewed since then still shows its old expiry date until the next load. The live SAM.gov API shows it the same day. - The free plan is 100 credits a month. SAM.gov's no-role key allows 10 calls a day, about 300 a month, though each returns at most 10 entities where one call here returns up to 100. - GovCon API is cheaper at entry ($19 a month against $49 for the Developer plan here) if you only need recent data. ## Try it One entity search returns up to 100 rows for 1 credit per 100 rows. The curl call runs once you have a free key. ``` curl "https://samgovapi.io/api/v1/entities?naics=541512&state=VA&status=active&limit=100" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $SAMGOVAPI_API_KEY" ``` ## Questions Does a SAM.gov role cost anything?No. Roles are granted by the entity administrator in SAM.gov at no cost. Registration and roles are free at sam.gov.Can I share one SAM.gov API key across my team?SAM.gov's terms treat personal API keys as personal. A system account is the official route for an application used by several people.Does samgovapi.io have a daily cap?No daily cap. Each plan has a monthly credit allowance and a per-minute limit; the free plan is 100 credits a month. ## Related - [SAM.gov API rate limits](https://samgovapi.io/sam-gov-api-rate-limits) - [SAM.gov API key](https://samgovapi.io/sam-gov-api-key) - [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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