API Documentation

Getting Started

The OFACScreen API allows you to programmatically screen names and entities against OFAC and other sanctions lists. Follow these steps to get up and running:

Authentication

All API requests must include a Bearer token in the Authorization header. You can generate API keys from your account dashboard.

Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here

Screen (Single)

Screen a single name or entity against all enabled sanctions lists. Returns match results with confidence scores.

Request

curl -X POST https://api.ofacscreen.com/api/v1/screen/ \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "John Smith",
    "type": "individual",
    "threshold": 0.3
  }'

Parameters

Response

{
  "query": "John Smith",
  "screened_at": "2026-03-04T14:30:00Z",
  "total_matches": 1,
  "matches": [
    {
      "id": 281578,
      "name": "John Ka-chiu LEE",
      "entry_type": "individual",
      "list_code": "OFAC_SDN",
      "list_name": "OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN)",
      "program": "HK-EO13936",
      "remarks": "",
      "score": 0.333,
      "score_pct": 33,
      "matched_alias": "John LEE",
      "aliases": ["John LEE", "Ka Chiu LEE"],
      "addresses": [{"city": "Kowloon", "country": "Hong Kong"}],
      "identifications": [{"type": "National ID No.", "number": "G0286787"}],
      "match_level": "low"
    }
  ]
}

Screen (Batch)

Screen multiple names or entities in a single request. Supports up to 100 names per batch on every plan. For larger batches, use the CSV upload feature in the web dashboard, where the per-file row limit rises with your plan.

Request

curl -X POST https://api.ofacscreen.com/api/v1/screen/batch/ \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "names": ["John Smith", "Acme Trading LLC", "Jane Doe"],
    "type": "individual",
    "threshold": 0.3
  }'

Parameters

Response

{
  "screened_at": "2026-03-04T14:30:00Z",
  "total_screened": 3,
  "results": [
    {
      "query": "John Smith",
      "total_matches": 1,
      "matches": [...]
    },
    {
      "query": "Acme Trading LLC",
      "total_matches": 0,
      "matches": []
    },
    {
      "query": "Jane Doe",
      "total_matches": 0,
      "matches": []
    }
  ]
}

Lists

Retrieve information about all available sanctions lists, including the last update timestamp. This endpoint does not require authentication.

Request

curl https://api.ofacscreen.com/api/v1/lists/

Response

{
  "lists": [
    {
      "code": "OFAC_SDN",
      "name": "OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN)",
      "description": "The primary US sanctions list maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.",
      "country": "United States",
      "last_updated": "2026-03-04T12:00:00Z"
    },
    {
      "code": "EU_FSF",
      "name": "EU Financial Sanctions (FSF)",
      "description": "The European Union consolidated list of persons, groups and entities subject to EU financial sanctions.",
      "country": "European Union",
      "last_updated": "2026-03-04T11:00:00Z"
    }
  ]
}

Monitoring

Manage entities for continuous monitoring. Monitored entities are automatically re-screened on every sanctions list update. You'll receive an email alert when a new match is detected.

List Entities

curl https://api.ofacscreen.com/api/v1/monitoring/ \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here"

{
  "entities": [
    {
      "id": 42,
      "name": "John Smith",
      "entity_type": "individual",
      "last_checked_at": "2026-03-04T12:00:00Z",
      "last_match_found": false,
      "last_match_score": 0.0
    }
  ],
  "total": 1
}

Add Entity

curl -X POST https://api.ofacscreen.com/api/v1/monitoring/ \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "John Smith", "entity_type": "individual"}'

{
  "id": 42,
  "name": "John Smith",
  "entity_type": "individual",
  "created": true
}

Remove Entity

curl -X DELETE https://api.ofacscreen.com/api/v1/monitoring/ \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"id": 42}'

{"id": 42, "deleted": true}

Rate Limits

API calls draw on the same monthly search allowance as the web interface, so one quota covers both. Rate limit headers are included in every response.

Rate Limit Headers

X-RateLimit-Limit: 10000
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 9955

If you exceed your monthly quota, you will receive a 429 Too Many Requests response with a Retry-After header.

Error Codes

The API uses standard HTTP status codes to indicate success or failure.

Error Response Format

{
  "error": "name field is required"
}