# Can I get the full description of a SAM.gov notice through an API? The official Get Opportunities API returns the description as a separate link that needs another authenticated call per notice, so full text costs two calls each. The nightly Contract Opportunities file includes the description text, which is why /opportunities/{notice_id} here returns it inline; 48,535 of the 74,420 loaded notices have more than 200 characters of description. Attachments (statements of work, drawings, pricing sheets) are separate files on SAM.gov.Checked on 2026-11-15.Official source: [open.gsa.gov Get Opportunities API](https://open.gsa.gov/api/get-opportunities-public-api/) | Notices loaded | 74,420 | | --- | --- | | With 200+ characters of description | 48,535 | | With contacts printed | 73,630 | | Attachments | Linked, not copied | ## The answer in detail Attachments (statements of work, drawings, pricing sheets) are separate files on SAM.gov. The notice record links to them; neither the public file nor this API copies their contents.Contracting officer names, emails and phone numbers are printed in most notices. The official API includes the point of contact; here they come back on the Pro and Scale plans, as printed, for contacting the office about that notice.For summarizing a solicitation with an AI assistant, fetch the notice as markdown (keyless), then let the assistant read the attachments you download from SAM.gov. ## 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 | | [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 - No attachment search: GovCon API's Pro plan indexes 635,353 attachments; here only the notice text is searchable. - Contacts need the Pro plan here; GovCon API includes contracting officer contacts on its $39 Pro plan. ## Try it Keyless markdown of one notice for an assistant, and the JSON record with the key. ``` # No key needed: the hosted MCP server's search tool curl -s https://samgovapi.io/api/mcp -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"search","arguments":{"query":"sources sought cybersecurity"}}}' curl "https://samgovapi.io/api/v1/opportunities/{notice_id}" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $SAMGOVAPI_API_KEY" ``` ## Questions Why is the description a link in SAM.gov's API?The search response keeps payloads small; the description endpoint returns the text for one notice at a time.Can I search inside attachments?Not here. Download them from the notice's SAM.gov page. ## Related - [Opportunity search](https://samgovapi.io/opportunity-search) - [Recipe: summarize a solicitation](https://samgovapi.io/agents/recipes/summarize-a-solicitation) - [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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