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Access civic data
programmatically

CivicObserver provides API access to meeting documents, search results, and notification data for researchers, journalists, and civic tech developers.

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Built for transparency

Local government decisions affect everyone. CivicObserver makes it easier to access, search, and monitor public meeting documents. Our API extends this mission by enabling researchers, journalists, and developers to build tools that further civic engagement.

Who uses the API?

Researchers & Journalists

Analyze patterns in local government decision-making. Track how topics like housing, budget, or zoning evolve across municipalities over time.

  • Bulk export search results for analysis
  • Set up programmatic alerts for breaking topics
  • Access historical meeting data

Civic Tech Developers

Build applications that help communities engage with local government. Create dashboards, notification bots, or analysis tools.

  • RESTful API with JSON responses
  • Webhook notifications for real-time updates
  • Rate limits suitable for most applications

Getting started

1

Create an account

Sign up for free to get access to the API. No credit card required.

Sign up now
2

Generate an API key

Create an API key from your account dashboard. You can create multiple keys for different applications.

Manage API keys
3

Start making requests

Use your API key to authenticate requests. Check our documentation for endpoints and examples.

Read the docs

Example request

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
     "https://civic.observer/api/v1/search/?query=housing&municipality=berkeley"

Ready to get started?

Create a free account and start exploring the API today.

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