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ckan.uk_search

stable Advanced

Search UK government open datasets (data.gov.uk, CKAN).

GET /v1/ckan/uk_search

What you get#

A list of Ckan results in Onekey's unified shape, in data (an array). An empty array is a normal, successful answer and is charged like any other; a source that reports "nothing found" as an error returns a free 404 not_found instead.

What it costs#

  • Advanced · 5 credits for a fresh fetch, charged only when it succeeds.
  • Free when served from cache (0.2 credit for a cached response over 100 KB).
  • Free if the request is invalid (never charged) or the source fails or reports not found (refunded).

Parameters#

NameTypeRequiredDefaultWhat it isConstraints
qstringyes(required)Search textmax 80 chars; must match [\w .,'&+:()-]{1,80}; trimmed, repeated spaces collapsed
rowsstringno10Rows (1-50)max 2 chars; must match [1-9]\d?|50; trimmed

Request#

curl "https://api.onekey.dev/v1/ckan/uk_search?q=climate&rows=3" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Try it

Add your key to run this call right here. No key? Get one free. The key stays in this tab.

Recorded response#

A real Ckan response, recorded and returned in Onekey's shape. Fields the platform does not provide are null.

json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": [
    {
      "entity": {
        "id": "9023a2a3-bf51-48f6-bb93-6c1d4acaa424",
        "name": "Climate resilience documents",
        "description": "<dp-prose>\n  <p>This dataset includes links to policies, strategies and documents relevant to climate resilience on a wide range of geographic scales. The project was undertaken with the guidance of Leeds City Council and Leeds Climate Commission and contains a large amount of Leeds specific policies and data.</p>\n  <h2>Please note</h2>\n  <ul>\n    <li>\n      <p>This dataset was created as part of ",
        "slug": "climate-resilience-documents",
        "category": "Data Mill North",
        "date": "2026-09-25T12:07:29Z"
      },
      "ext": {
        "resources": 6
      },
      "package": {
        "license": null
      }
    },
    {
      "entity": {
        "id": "b47891b6-6e29-4b74-8936-3c1d02bf89e7",
        "name": "Climate Risk Mapping",
        "description": "<dp-prose>\n  <p>A series of London-wide climate risk maps has been produced to analyse climate exposure and vulnerability across Greater London. These maps were produced by Bloomberg Associates in collaboration with the Greater London Authority to help the GLA and other London-based organisations deliver equitable responses to the impacts of climate change and target resources to support communiti",
        "slug": "climate-risk-mapping1",
        "category": "Greater London Authority",
        "date": "2026-09-25T11:40:21Z"
      },
      "ext": {
        "resources": 1
      },
      "package": {
        "license": null
      }
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "platform": "ckan",
    "endpoint": "uk_search",
    "cached": false,
    "stale": false,
    "age_s": 0,
    "fetched_at": "2026-01-01T12:00:00+00:00",
    "credits_charged": 5,
    "request_id": "7f3a9c2e5b1d4c8fa2e6d0b9c4f18e37"
  },
  "error": null
}

Field mapping#

How this endpoint's source fields become Onekey's unified schema. Fields the source lacks come back as null.

Source pathOnekey fieldTransform
identity.id-
titleentity.name-
notesentity.description-
nameentity.slug-
organization.titleentity.category-
metadata_modifiedentity.datetoIsoDate
num_resourcesext.resourcestoNumber
license_titlepackage.license-

Caching and freshness#

  • Fresh for about 2 minutes. Repeat calls in that window are served from cache and are free.
  • Between 2 minutes and 15 minutes the cached copy is still served instantly and marked stale: true while Onekey refreshes it in the background.
  • If the source is down when a refresh is needed, the last copy can be served for up to 1 hour more (marked stale).
  • A "not found" is remembered for 1 minute and is free.
  • The cache is shared across all customers, which is what keeps repeat calls cheap.

What can go wrong#

StatusCodeWhat to do
401unauthorizedCheck the x-api-key header.
402insufficient_creditsAdd credits; your balance must cover the price.
404not_foundUnknown endpoint path.
422invalid_paramsFix the parameters using the table above. Free.
429rate_limitedWait Retry-After seconds, then retry.
502upstream_errorThe source failed. Refunded; retry with backoff.

See Errors for the full list and retry guidance.

Status: stable (verified against the live source).