Retrieve Company & Certificates

Find company and certificates by name and match rate.

POST /company

Fields that are marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.

The API can only match one Certified Entity from IAFCertSearch per request.
Company Information Requirements:
- At least one of the two fields, company_name or company_identifiers, must be provided.
Match Rate Value:
- The default rate value is 94 when no match_rate is provided.
- If an invalid (non-numeric) match_rate is submitted, it falls back to 30.
- The minimum accepted value is 30; values below 30 are enforced to 30.
- Valid rate values range from 30 to 100.
- Any rate value exceeding 100 will automatically be capped at 100.
Match Score Bands:
- The match score (0–100) is grouped into bands that determine the match_type:
Band
Score Range
match_type
Very High
94 – 100
exactly_matched
High
80 – 93
loosely_matched
Medium
60 – 79
loosely_matched
Low
30 – 59
loosely_matched
Very Low
0 – 29
not matched
Match Type:
- match_type is derived from the match score band:
  - exactly_matched — score 94–100 (Very High band). Credits are consumed and the verified data is saved to the company's default list.
  - loosely_matched — score 30–93 (High, Medium, or Low band). The result is returned for review but is not saved to the default list and does not consume credits.
Match Factors:
- match_factors is an object of booleans indicating which submitted fields contributed to the match. Each flag is true when that field matched the Certified Entity:
  - company_name — the submitted company name matched the Certified Entity name.
  - company_english_name — matched the Certified Entity's English name.
  - company_trading_name — matched the Certified Entity's trading name.
  - company_identifiers — one or more submitted identifiers matched.
  - country — the submitted country matched.
  - city — the submitted city matched.
Response Value:
- The API will return a single matched Certified Entity record with its Certificates.

Headers

Name

Type

Description

Content-Type*

String

application/json

x-http-authorization*

String

API Key received from https://www.iafcertsearch.org/api-verification

Example:

x-http-authorization: <<API KEY>>

Request Body

Name

Type

Description

company_country*

String

Country/Economy of the main entity address for the Certified Entity. Supports full country name, alpha-2 and alpha-3 format (click for more information) Example: Australia | AU | AUS

company_name

String

Certified Entity Name (Company Name) as detailed on the Certificate.

company_city

String

Optional city of the main entity address. When provided, companies in that city receive a higher match score.

company_identifiers

Object

Additional Company Fields

Format: "company_identifiers": {

"vat": "string",

"tax_id": "string",

"business_registration_number": "string",

"duns_number": "string",

"company_id_number": "string"

}

Country-aware identifiers (vat, tax_id, business_registration_number) are matched within the specified company_country. Global identifiers (duns_number, company_id_number) match across all countries.

match_rate

Number / String

The minimum match score threshold for a result to be returned. Example: 100 | "100%"

Example Payload Request

{
  "company_name": "IAF",
  "company_country": "Australia",
  "company_city": null,
  "company_identifiers": {
    "vat": null,
    "tax_id": null,
    "business_registration_number": null,
    "duns_number": null,
    "company_id_number": null
  },
  "match_rate": 90
}

{
  "company_name": null,
  "company_country": "Australia",
  "company_city": null,
  "company_identifiers": {
    "vat": "VAT",
    "tax_id": "TAX ID",
    "business_registration_number": "BUSINESS REGISTRATION NUMBER",
    "duns_number": "DUNS NUMBER",
    "company_id_number": "COMPANY ID NUMBER"
  },
  "match_rate": 90
}

{
  "company_name": "IAF",
  "company_country": "Australia",
  "company_city": null,
  "company_identifiers": {
    "vat": null,
    "tax_id": null,
    "business_registration_number": null,
    "duns_number": "DUNS NUMBER",
    "company_id_number": "COMPANY ID NUMBER"
  },
  "match_rate": 100
}

{
  "company_name": "QualityTrade",
  "company_country": "Australia",
  "company_city": "Sydney",
  "company_identifiers": { // Have priority over company_name
    "vat": "VAT",
    "tax_id": "TAX ID",
    "business_registration_number": "BUSINESS REGISTRATION NUMBER",
    "duns_number": "DUNS NUMBER",
    "company_id_number": "COMPANY ID NUMBER"
  },
  "match_rate": 100
}

curl --location --globoff --request POST '{API_URL}/company' \
--header 'x-http-authorization: <API_KEY>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
  "company_name": "string",
  "company_country": "string",
  "company_city": "string",
  "company_identifiers": {
    "vat": "string",
    "tax_id": "string",
    "business_registration_number": "string",
    "duns_number": "string",
    "company_id_number": "string"
  },
  "match_rate": 90
}'

require "uri"
require "json"
require "net/http"

url = URI("{API_URL}/company")

http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port);
request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(url)
request["x-http-authorization"] = "<API_KEY>"
request["Content-Type"] = "application/json"
request.body = JSON.dump({
  "company_name": "string",
  "company_country": "string",
  "company_city": "string",
  "company_identifiers": {
    "vat": "string",
    "tax_id": "string",
    "business_registration_number": "string",
    "duns_number": "string",
    "company_id_number": "string"
  },
  "match_rate": 90
})

response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body

import http.client
import json

conn = http.client.HTTPSConnection("{API_URL}")
payload = json.dumps({
  "company_name": "string",
  "company_country": "string",
  "company_city": "string",
  "company_identifiers": {
    "vat": "string",
    "tax_id": "string",
    "business_registration_number": "string",
    "duns_number": "string",
    "company_id_number": "string"
  },
  "match_rate": 90
})
headers = {
  'x-http-authorization': '<API_KEY>',
  'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}
conn.request("POST", "/company", payload, headers)
res = conn.getresponse()
data = res.read()
print(data.decode("utf-8"))

<?php

$curl = curl_init();

curl_setopt_array($curl, array(
  CURLOPT_URL => '{API_URL}/company',
  CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
  CURLOPT_ENCODING => '',
  CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
  CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 0,
  CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION => true,
  CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
  CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => 'POST',
  CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS =>'{
  "company_name": "string",
  "company_country": "string",
  "company_city": "string",
  "company_identifiers": {
    "vat": "string",
    "tax_id": "string",
    "business_registration_number": "string",
    "duns_number": "string",
    "company_id_number": "string"
  },
  "match_rate": 90
}',
  CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => array(
    'x-http-authorization: <API_KEY>',
    'Content-Type: application/json'
  ),
));

$response = curl_exec($curl);

curl_close($curl);
echo $response;

OkHttpClient client = new OkHttpClient().newBuilder()
  .build();
MediaType mediaType = MediaType.parse("application/json");
RequestBody body = RequestBody.create(mediaType, "{\n  \"company_name\": \"string\",\n  \"company_country\": \"string\",\n  \"company_city\": \"string\",\n  \"company_identifiers\": {\n    \"vat\": \"string\",\n    \"tax_id\": \"string\",\n    \"business_registration_number\": \"string\",\n    \"duns_number\": \"string\",\n    \"company_id_number\": \"string\"\n  },\n  \"match_rate\": 90\n}");
Request request = new Request.Builder()
  .url("{API_URL}/company")
  .method("POST", body)
  .addHeader("x-http-authorization", "<API_KEY>")
  .addHeader("Content-Type", "application/json")
  .build();
Response response = client.newCall(request).execute();

const axios = require('axios');
let data = JSON.stringify({
  "company_name": "string",
  "company_country": "string",
  "company_city": "string",
  "company_identifiers": {
    "vat": "string",
    "tax_id": "string",
    "business_registration_number": "string",
    "duns_number": "string",
    "company_id_number": "string"
  },
  "match_rate": 90
});

let config = {
  method: 'post',
  maxBodyLength: Infinity,
  url: '{API_URL}/company',
  headers: { 
    'x-http-authorization': '<API_KEY>', 
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  data : data
};

axios.request(config)
.then((response) => {
  console.log(JSON.stringify(response.data));
})
.catch((error) => {
  console.log(error);
});

package main

import (
  "fmt"
  "strings"
  "net/http"
  "io"
)

func main() {

  url := "{API_URL}/company"
  method := "POST"

  payload := strings.NewReader(`{
  "company_name": "string",
  "company_country": "string",
  "company_city": "string",
  "company_identifiers": {
    "vat": "string",
    "tax_id": "string",
    "business_registration_number": "string",
    "duns_number": "string",
    "company_id_number": "string"
  },
  "match_rate": 90
}`)

  client := &http.Client {
  }
  req, err := http.NewRequest(method, url, payload)

  if err != nil {
    fmt.Println(err)
    return
  }
  req.Header.Add("x-http-authorization", "<API_KEY>")
  req.Header.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")

  res, err := client.Do(req)
  if err != nil {
    fmt.Println(err)
    return
  }
  defer res.Body.Close()

  body, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
  if err != nil {
    fmt.Println(err)
    return
  }
  fmt.Println(string(body))
}

var options = new RestClientOptions("{API_URL}/company")
{
  MaxTimeout = -1,
};
var client = new RestClient(options);
var request = new RestRequest("", Method.Post);
request.AddHeader("x-http-authorization", "<API_KEY>");
request.AddHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");
var body = @"{" + "\n" +
@"  ""company_name"": ""string""," + "\n" +
@"  ""company_country"": ""string""," + "\n" +
@"  ""company_city"": ""string""," + "\n" +
@"  ""company_identifiers"": {" + "\n" +
@"    ""vat"": ""string""," + "\n" +
@"    ""tax_id"": ""string""," + "\n" +
@"    ""business_registration_number"": ""string""," + "\n" +
@"    ""duns_number"": ""string""," + "\n" +
@"    ""company_id_number"": ""string""" + "\n" +
@"  }," + "\n" +
@"  ""match_rate"": 90" + "\n" +
@"}";
request.AddStringBody(body, DataFormat.Json);
RestResponse response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
Console.WriteLine(response.Content);

Responses

Request Successful

{
  "data": {
    "ce_id": string,
    "matched_certified_entity_name": string,
    "match_status": string,
    "match_type": string,
    "match_rate": integer,
    "match_factors": {
      "company_name": boolean,
      "company_english_name": boolean,
      "company_trading_name": boolean,
      "company_identifiers": boolean,
      "country": boolean,
      "city": boolean
    },
    "certified_entity_english_name": string,
    "certified_entity_trading_name": string,
    "country": string,
    "certified_entity_addresses": [
      {
        "street": string,
        "city": string,
        "state": string,
        "post_code": string,
        "full_address": string,
        "country": string
      }
    ],
    "certificates": [
      {
        "cert_id": string,
        "accreditation_bodies_name": string,
        "certification_bodies_name": string,
        "certification_number": string,
        "certification_status": string,
        "certification_scope": string,
        "certification_standards_scheme": [
          {
            "standard_name": string,
            "scheme_name": string,
            "is_accredited_mla": boolean
          }
        ],
        "certification_main_sites": [
          {
            "street": string,
            "city": string,
            "state": string,
            "post_code": string,
            "full_address": string,
            "scope": string,
            "country": string
          }
        ],
        "certification_additional_sites": [
          {
            "street": string,
            "city": string,
            "state": string,
            "post_code": string,
            "full_address": string,
            "scope": string,
            "country": string
          }
        ],
        "certification_sectors": [
          {
            "sector_name": string,
            "sector_code": string
          }
        ],
        "updated_at": integer
      }
    ]
  }
}

Request Successful with Standards Group

{
  "data": {
    "ce_id": string,
    "matched_certified_entity_name": string,
    "match_status": string,
    "match_type": string,
    "match_rate": integer,
    "match_factors": {
      "company_name": boolean,
      "company_english_name": boolean,
      "company_trading_name": boolean,
      "company_identifiers": boolean,
      "country": boolean,
      "city": boolean
    },
    "certified_entity_english_name": string,
    "certified_entity_trading_name": string,
    "country": string,
    "certified_entity_addresses": [
      {
        "street": string,
        "city": string,
        "state": string,
        "post_code": string,
        "full_address": string,
        "country": string
      }
    ],
    "certificates": [
      {
        "cert_id": string,
        "accreditation_bodies_name": string,
        "certification_bodies_name": string,
        "certification_number": string,
        "certification_status": string,
        "certification_scope": string,
        "certification_standards_scheme": [
          {
            "standard_name": string,
            "scheme_name": string,
            "is_accredited_mla": boolean,
            "standard_group": string | null
          }
        ],
        "certification_main_sites": [
          {
            "street": string,
            "city": string,
            "state": string,
            "post_code": string,
            "full_address": string,
            "scope": string,
            "country": string
          }
        ],
        "certification_additional_sites": [
          {
            "street": string,
            "city": string,
            "state": string,
            "post_code": string,
            "full_address": string,
            "scope": string,
            "country": string
          }
        ],
        "certification_sectors": [
          {
            "sector_name": string,
            "sector_code": string
          }
        ],
        "updated_at": integer
      }
    ]
  }
}

Request Successful with Certification Issuance Dates

{
  "data": {
    "ce_id": string,
    "matched_certified_entity_name": string,
    "match_status": string,
    "match_type": string,
    "match_rate": integer,
    "match_factors": {
      "company_name": boolean,
      "company_english_name": boolean,
      "company_trading_name": boolean,
      "company_identifiers": boolean,
      "country": boolean,
      "city": boolean
    },
    "certified_entity_english_name": string,
    "certified_entity_trading_name": string,
    "country": string,
    "certified_entity_addresses": [
      {
        "street": string,
        "city": string,
        "state": string,
        "post_code": string,
        "full_address": string,
        "country": string
      }
    ],
    "certificates": [
      {
        "cert_id": string,
        "accreditation_bodies_name": string,
        "certification_bodies_name": string,
        "certification_number": string,
        "certification_status": string,
        "certification_scope": string,
        "certification_issuance_dates": {
          "certification_original_issued_date": string,
          "certification_issued_date": string,
          "certification_expiry_date": string
        },
        "certification_standards_scheme": [
          {
            "standard_name": string,
            "scheme_name": string,
            "is_accredited_mla": boolean
          }
        ],
        "certification_main_sites": [
          {
            "street": string,
            "city": string,
            "state": string,
            "post_code": string,
            "full_address": string,
            "scope": string,
            "country": string
          }
        ],
        "certification_additional_sites": [
          {
            "street": string,
            "city": string,
            "state": string,
            "post_code": string,
            "full_address": string,
            "scope": string,
            "country": string
          }
        ],
        "certification_sectors": [
          {
            "sector_name": string,
            "sector_code": string
          }
        ],
        "updated_at": integer
      }
    ]
  }
}

Request Successful with Standards Group and Certification Issuance Dates

{
  "data": {
    "ce_id": string,
    "matched_certified_entity_name": string,
    "match_status": string,
    "match_type": string,
    "match_rate": integer,
    "match_factors": {
      "company_name": boolean,
      "company_english_name": boolean,
      "company_trading_name": boolean,
      "company_identifiers": boolean,
      "country": boolean,
      "city": boolean
    },
    "certified_entity_english_name": string,
    "certified_entity_trading_name": string,
    "country": string,
    "certified_entity_addresses": [
      {
        "street": string,
        "city": string,
        "state": string,
        "post_code": string,
        "full_address": string,
        "country": string
      }
    ],
    "certificates": [
      {
        "cert_id": string,
        "accreditation_bodies_name": string,
        "certification_bodies_name": string,
        "certification_number": string,
        "certification_status": string,
        "certification_scope": string,
        "certification_issuance_dates": {
          "certification_original_issued_date": string,
          "certification_issued_date": string,
          "certification_expiry_date": string
        },
        "certification_standards_scheme": [
          {
            "standard_name": string,
            "scheme_name": string,
            "is_accredited_mla": boolean,
            "standard_group": string | null
          }
        ],
        "certification_main_sites": [
          {
            "street": string,
            "city": string,
            "state": string,
            "post_code": string,
            "full_address": string,
            "scope": string,
            "country": string
          }
        ],
        "certification_additional_sites": [
          {
            "street": string,
            "city": string,
            "state": string,
            "post_code": string,
            "full_address": string,
            "scope": string,
            "country": string
          }
        ],
        "certification_sectors": [
          {
            "sector_name": string,
            "sector_code": string
          }
        ],
        "updated_at": integer
      }
    ]
  }
}

Some data are Confidential

{
  "data": {
    "ce_id": string,
    "matched_certified_entity_name": string,
    "match_status": string,
    "match_type": string,
    "match_rate": integer,
    "match_factors": {
      "company_name": boolean,
      "company_english_name": boolean,
      "company_trading_name": boolean,
      "company_identifiers": boolean,
      "country": boolean,
      "city": boolean
    },
    "certified_entity_english_name": "Confidential",
    "certified_entity_trading_name": "Confidential",
    "country": string,
    "certified_entity_addresses": [
      {
        "street": "Confidential",
        "city": "Confidential",
        "state": "Confidential",
        "post_code": "Confidential",
        "full_address": "Confidential",
        "country": string
      }
    ],
    "certificates": [
      {
        "cert_id": string,
        "accreditation_bodies_name": string,
        "certification_bodies_name": string,
        "certification_number": string,
        "certification_status": string,
        "certification_scope": string,
        "certification_standards_scheme": [
          {
            "standard_name": string,
            "scheme_name": string,
            "is_accredited_mla": boolean
          }
        ],
        "certification_main_sites": [
          {
            "street": string,
            "city": string,
            "state": string,
            "post_code": string,
            "full_address": string,
            "scope": string,
            "country": string
          }
        ],
        "certification_additional_sites": [
          {
            "street": string,
            "city": string,
            "state": string,
            "post_code": string,
            "full_address": string,
            "scope": string,
            "country": string
          }
        ],
        "certification_sectors": [
          {
            "sector_name": string,
            "sector_code": string
          }
        ],
        "updated_at": integer
      }
    ]
  }
}

Some data are Confidential with Certification Issuance Dates

{
  "data": {
    "ce_id": string,
    "matched_certified_entity_name": string,
    "match_status": string,
    "match_type": string,
    "match_rate": integer,
    "match_factors": {
      "company_name": boolean,
      "company_english_name": boolean,
      "company_trading_name": boolean,
      "company_identifiers": boolean,
      "country": boolean,
      "city": boolean
    },
    "certified_entity_english_name": "Confidential",
    "certified_entity_trading_name": "Confidential",
    "country": string,
    "certified_entity_addresses": [
      {
        "street": "Confidential",
        "city": "Confidential",
        "state": "Confidential",
        "post_code": "Confidential",
        "full_address": "Confidential",
        "country": string
      }
    ],
    "certificates": [
      {
        "cert_id": string,
        "accreditation_bodies_name": string,
        "certification_bodies_name": string,
        "certification_number": string,
        "certification_status": string,
        "certification_scope": string,
        "certification_issuance_dates": {
          "certification_original_issued_date": string,
          "certification_issued_date": string,
          "certification_expiry_date": string
        },
        "certification_standards_scheme": [
          {
            "standard_name": string,
            "scheme_name": string,
            "is_accredited_mla": boolean
          }
        ],
        "certification_main_sites": [
          {
            "street": string,
            "city": string,
            "state": string,
            "post_code": string,
            "full_address": string,
            "scope": string,
            "country": string
          }
        ],
        "certification_additional_sites": [
          {
            "street": string,
            "city": string,
            "state": string,
            "post_code": string,
            "full_address": string,
            "scope": string,
            "country": string
          }
        ],
        "certification_sectors": [
          {
            "sector_name": string,
            "sector_code": string
          }
        ],
        "updated_at": integer
      }
    ]
  }
}

Bad Request - Validation Errors

{
  "type": "string",
  "title": "Validation errors.",
  "status": 400,
  "detail": "The request body has validation errors.",
  "instance": "/company",
  "code": "validation",
  "errors": [
    {
      "field": "field_name",
      "detail": "error_message"
    }
  ]
}

Unauthorized Access

{
  "type": "string",
  "title": "Unauthorized access.",
  "status": 401,
  "detail": "Authentication failed due to invalid credentials or missing token.",
  "instance": "/company",
  "code": "unauthorized"
}

Insufficient Credit

{
  "type": "string",
  "title": "Insufficient credit.",
  "status": 403,
  "detail": "You are trying to access data that exceeds your available credits. To increase your available credits, please contact us at info@iafcertsearch.org.",
  "instance": "/company",
  "code": "insufficient_credit"
}

API Request Limit Reached

{
    "type": "string",
    "title": "API request limit reached.",
    "status": 403,
    "detail": "API request limit reached. To increase your API request limit, contact us at info@iafcertsearch.org.",
    "instance": "/company",
    "code": "api_request_limit_reached"
}

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