# What is a SAM.gov system account, and do I need one? A SAM.gov system account is a non-person account for an application, with its own API key and 1,000 requests a day for non-federal systems. You need one if software, not a person, calls SAM.gov in production; it requires an approval, a 90-day password rotation and calls from allowlisted IP addresses. Personal keys belong to one SAM.gov user and are meant for that person's own use.Checked on 2026-11-15.Official source: [open.gsa.gov Entity Management API](https://open.gsa.gov/api/entity-api/) | Daily limit (non-federal system) | 1,000 requests | | --- | --- | | Daily limit (federal system) | 10,000 requests | | Password rotation | Every 90 days | | Network rule | Allowlisted IP addresses | ## The answer in detail Personal keys belong to one SAM.gov user and are meant for that person's own use. A system account is how GSA expects an application to connect: the request names the system, the data it needs and its security contact, and an administrator at your entity approves it. Access to sensitive (FOUO) data needs a further justification.The constraints shape the architecture. Calls must come from IP addresses you list, which suits a fixed server but not most serverless platforms. The password rotates every 90 days. And the 1,000-a-day ceiling still applies, with 10 records per Entity API page.If the goal is public data (registrations, opportunities, exclusions, awards) inside your own product, an API over the public extract avoids the approval and the allowlist. samgovapi.io serves only public data; it cannot give you anything a system account gates as sensitive. ## 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 | | [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 - Sensitive (FOUO) fields such as some reps and certs are only available through an approved system account, never here. - 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. ## Try it An entity search by NAICS and state, the call a system account is often requested for. ``` const url = new URL("https://samgovapi.io/api/v1/entities"); url.searchParams.set("naics", "541330"); url.searchParams.set("state", "MD"); url.searchParams.set("status", "active"); url.searchParams.set("limit", "100"); const res = await fetch(url, { headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.SAMGOVAPI_API_KEY}` } }); const { data, meta } = await res.json(); console.log(meta.as_of, meta.credits_charged, data); ``` ## Questions How long does system account approval take?SAM.gov publishes no fixed time; it depends on your entity administrator and, for sensitive data, on GSA review.Is a system account free?Yes. There is no charge for SAM.gov accounts, roles or API access. ## Related - [SAM.gov API rate limits](https://samgovapi.io/sam-gov-api-rate-limits) - [SAM.gov Entity API](https://samgovapi.io/sam-gov-entity-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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