Frequently Asked Questions

What is DataLedger?

DataLedger is a UK company data provider that transforms Companies House filings into structured, analysis-ready datasets and an API.

We focus on balance sheet-led financial data, company metadata, and year-on-year change, rather than relying solely on revenue or profit figures which most UK SMEs don't disclose.

Where does DataLedger's data come from?

All DataLedger data is sourced from Companies House electronic filings. We process these raw XBRL and iXBRL submissions into structured, queryable formats.

We also use ONS reference data for consistent geography and industry classification.

Which UK companies are included?

DataLedger covers 5+ million UK companies that submit accounts electronically to Companies House.

This includes:

• Active companies with recent filings
• Dissolved companies (historical data)
• Private Limited Companies, PLCs, LLPs, and other entity types
• Companies across all industries and sizes

We exclude paper-filed accounts as these cannot be reliably structured and validated.

How is DataLedger different from Companies House?

Companies House publishes raw filings that require significant manual processing. DataLedger transforms these into structured, analysis-ready data:

• Structured format: Clean JSON (API) or Excel/CSV (datasets) instead of PDF or raw XBRL
• Pre-calculated metrics: Financial ratios and growth rates computed for you
• Data validation: Balance sheet verification and quality flags
• Consistent formatting: Standardised field names and data types
• Advanced filtering: Search by financial criteria, growth indicators, industry, location

Is DataLedger an official Companies House service?

No. DataLedger is an independent data provider that builds on open Companies House data to provide structured, enhanced access with commercial reuse rights.

Do all companies have balance sheet data?

Yes. 100% of companies have balance sheet data.

Under UK law, all companies that file accounts must submit a balance sheet, regardless of size. This is why DataLedger focuses on balance sheet-led analysis.

Do all companies have profit and loss data?

No. Most UK SMEs don't publish turnover or profit figures.

UK reporting rules allow micro-entities and small companies to file abbreviated accounts that exclude income statements. This is legal, normal, and affects the majority of UK companies.

Where P&L data is disclosed (typically medium and large companies), DataLedger includes it. Use the hasPLFigures=true filter to find companies with full P&L statements.

Why doesn't every company report turnover or profit?

UK reporting rules are designed to reduce administrative burden on smaller businesses:

• Micro-entities: Can file simplified accounts without P&L statement
• Small companies: Can file abbreviated accounts excluding turnover/profit
• Medium/Large companies: Must file full accounts including P&L

This is intentional UK policy, not missing data. Balance sheet information is still required and provided by all companies.

If profit and loss data is missing, what insight can I still get?

Balance sheets show:

• Total assets: Company size and operational scale
• Asset composition: Fixed vs current assets (property, equipment, cash, receivables)
• Liabilities: Debt levels and payment obligations
• Equity: Net worth and financial buffers
• Leverage ratios: Debt-to-equity, debt-to-asset ratios
• Year-on-year growth: Asset growth, equity growth

How many years of financial data do you provide?

All products include current and previous year data:

• API: Latest filed accounts containing current year + prior year comparatives
• Pre-built datasets: 12 months of accounts (current + previous year)
• Custom datasets: Current + previous year from latest filings

This provides year-on-year comparison for all key metrics: assets, liabilities, equity, and P&L figures where disclosed.

How often is the data updated?

DataLedger processes electronic Companies House submissions on an ongoing basis. New filings are incorporated regularly as they are published.

• API: Real-time access to latest processed data
• Pre-built datasets: Current data at time of purchase (instant download)
• Custom datasets: Built from most recent data available

What does "verified" mean in the data?

DataLedger includes verification flags (cVerified and pVerified) that indicate whether the balance sheet data passed our validation checks:

• "true": Balance sheet equation balanced (Assets = Liabilities + Equity)
• "false": Data present but didn't pass validation checks

Use verified data when data quality is critical for your analysis.

Do you include paper-filed accounts?

No. DataLedger only processes electronic submissions, as these can be reliably structured and validated.

Electronic filings account for the vast majority of UK company submissions and cover most SMEs, growth companies, and digitally native businesses.

What data is available via the API?

The API provides access to:

• Company metadata: Status, name, incorporation date, SIC codes, location, employees
• Balance sheet data: Assets, liabilities, equity (current + previous year)
• P&L data: Turnover, profit/loss (where disclosed)
• Financial ratios: Debt-to-equity, debt-to-asset ratios
• Growth indicators: Asset growth, equity growth rates
• Quality flags: Data verification status

What are the core API endpoints?

Three main endpoints:

• /v1/companies/autocomplete (name-based company lookup, 25 calls = 1 credit)
• /v1/companies/search (advanced filtered search, 1 credit per request)
• /v1/companies/{companyNumber} (company profile, 1 credit basic, 2 credits detailed)

Full documentation at api.dataledger.uk/docs/v1

How do I authenticate API requests?

Use the x-api-key header (lowercase) with your API key:

Get your API key by signing up at hub.dataledger.uk. You'll receive 25 free credits, no card required.

What is a credit and how do credits work?

Credits are units of API usage. Different endpoints cost different amounts:

• Autocomplete: 25 calls = 1 credit (optimised for search-as-you-type)
• Company search: 1 credit per request
• Basic profile: 1 credit per company
• Detailed profile: 2 credits per company (includes full balance sheet line items)

Credits roll over: Unused monthly credits don't expire. One-time purchases never expire.

How can I track my API usage?

Every API response includes an X-API-Key-Details header showing:

• count (total credits used)
• limit (total credits available)
• cost (credits this request cost)
• reset (when your credits reset)

Is there rate limiting?

Yes. API usage is rate limited to 50,000 credits per hour across all plans to ensure reliability and prevent abuse.

This gives substantial headroom for legitimate use cases whilst protecting service quality.

What happens if I exceed my credit limit?

If you exceed your credit limit, API access stops until you upgrade your plan or purchase additional credits.

What's the difference between basic and detailed company profiles?

Basic profile (1 credit) includes:

• Company metadata and registration details
• Financial summary: calculated totals for assets, liabilities, equity
• Pre-calculated ratios and growth rates

Detailed profile (2 credits, financials=true) includes everything above plus:

• Complete balance sheet line items (intangible assets, property/plant/equipment, current assets breakdown, creditors, provisions)
• Full P&L statement details (turnover, gross profit, operating profit, wages/salaries)

Can I filter companies by financial criteria in the API?

Yes. The /v1/companies/search endpoint supports extensive filtering:

• Financial thresholds: min/max assets, equity, liabilities
• Financial ratios: debt-to-equity, debt-to-asset ranges
• Growth indicators: asset growth, equity growth rates
• Company attributes: SIC codes, employee counts, incorporation dates
• Location: postcodes, local authorities
• Status filters: active/dormant, has P&L figures

Use meta=true to get result counts before fetching full data.

What's the difference between pre-built and custom datasets?

Pre-built datasets (£295 each):

• Industry-specific: Software & IT, Financial Services, Professional Services
• Instant download after purchase
• Over 18,000 companies total across all sectors
• Excel format, ready for immediate analysis

Custom datasets (from £295):

• Built to your exact specifications
• Filter by ANY criteria (financial, industry, location, growth, etc.)
• Excel or CSV format
• Delivered within 24-48 hours

What's included in the pre-built datasets?

Each pre-built dataset includes:

• Software & IT: 5,000+ companies (10-200 employees)
• Financial Services: 5,000+ companies (3-200 employees)
• Professional Services: 8,000+ companies (10-200 employees)

Data fields: Company metadata, balance sheets (current + previous year), financial ratios, growth indicators, SIC codes, location, employees, and P&L data where disclosed.

What can I filter by in a custom dataset?

You can filter by any data point in our database:

• Financial metrics: Assets, equity, liabilities, turnover (where disclosed), profitability
• Ratios & growth: Debt-to-equity, asset growth rates, equity growth
• Industry: SIC codes, principal activities
• Location: Postcode areas, local authorities, specific addresses
• Company attributes: Employee counts, incorporation dates, company status
• Data quality: Verified balance sheets, electronic submissions, has P&L figures

You can also provide a specific list of company numbers to extract.

What formats are datasets delivered in?

Pre-built datasets: Excel (.xlsx), instant download

Custom datasets: Excel (.xlsx) or CSV, your choice

Both formats include the same comprehensive data fields.

Can I get regular updates to my custom dataset?

Yes. We offer monthly dataset updates from £150/month depending on complexity.

This gives you recurring refreshes as new filings are processed, keeping your prospect lists or analysis up to date.

How quickly can I get a custom dataset?

Custom datasets are typically delivered within 24-48 hours after you specify your requirements.

For particularly complex requests or very large datasets (100,000+ companies), delivery may take up to 72 hours. We'll provide a delivery estimate when you submit your request.

What are the pricing options?

Three ways to access DataLedger:

1. Pre-built Datasets (£295 each)

• Instant download, industry-specific
• Software & IT, Financial Services, or Professional Services

2. Custom Datasets (from £295)

• Up to 5,000 companies: £295
• 5,000-25,000 companies: £995
• 25,000+ companies: Custom quote
• Monthly updates: From £150/month

3. API Access (from £10/month)

• Pro Plan: £10/month (300 credits)
• Commercial Plan: £20/month (2,000 credits), Most Popular
• One-time purchases: £5-£300
• High-volume plans: £75-£4,000/month

Is there a free trial?

Yes. Sign up at hub.dataledger.uk to receive 25 free API credits with no card required.

This lets you test all endpoints, explore data structure, and validate integration before committing to a paid plan.

Can I get a sample before purchasing a dataset?

Yes. We provide free sample downloads for each pre-built dataset on our packages page.

For custom datasets, we can provide sample records matching your specifications before you commit to the full dataset purchase.

Do unused API credits expire?

It depends on your plan:

• Monthly subscriptions: Unused credits roll over to the next month. You never lose credits you've paid for.
• One-time purchases: Credits never expire. Use them whenever you need them.

Can I upgrade or downgrade my API plan?

Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time through your account dashboard at hub.dataledger.uk.

Unused credits from your previous plan will be carried forward.

Is there a discount for high-volume usage?

Yes. Cost per credit decreases with volume:

• Starter (10k/month): £0.0075 per credit
• Professional (50k/month): £0.006 per credit
• Business (200k/month): £0.005 per credit
• Enterprise (500k/month): £0.004 per credit
• Enterprise Unlimited: £4,000/month with fair use policy

Who uses DataLedger?

• Sales & Business Development: Qualify prospects by financial health before outreach
• Recruiters: Identify companies with expansion indicators to target hiring firms
• Investors & Private Equity: Screen companies using balance sheet analysis
• Software Developers: Embed UK company financial intelligence without building infrastructure
• Analysts & Researchers: Compare companies with consistent, structured data
• Financial Services: Credit assessment, risk analysis, portfolio monitoring
• Market Research Firms: Industry analysis and competitive intelligence

Can I use DataLedger for lead generation?

Yes. Many customers use balance sheet signals to identify financially relevant companies:

• Companies with strong asset growth (expansion indicators)
• Firms with specific asset levels (indicating operational scale)
• Companies with healthy equity positions (financial stability)
• Businesses in specific employee ranges (sizing prospects)

This works even for companies that don't disclose revenue, making UK SME prospecting more effective.

Can I integrate DataLedger into my own product?

Yes. The API is designed for commercial reuse and integration into:

• Internal tools and platforms
• CRM enrichment workflows
• Onboarding and KYC processes
• Financial products and services
• Market intelligence dashboards

All paid plans include commercial use rights with no restrictions on how you use the data.

Can I use DataLedger for credit risk assessment?

Yes. Balance sheet data is particularly valuable for credit assessment:

• Debt-to-equity ratios indicate leverage
• Asset levels show collateral availability
• Equity positions indicate financial buffers
• Year-on-year trends show trajectory

This works for companies that don't disclose revenue, expanding your assessable universe.

Can I use DataLedger for market research?

Yes. Common research applications include:

• Industry sector analysis and trends
• Competitive landscape mapping
• Market size estimation by geography or industry
• Company growth trajectory analysis
• Financial health distribution across sectors

What response format does the API use?

JSON. All API responses are clean, structured JSON with consistent field names and data types.

Financial field prefixes: c = current year, p = previous year

Growth rates are returned as decimals (0.1 = 10% growth)

Can I integrate DataLedger with my CRM?

Yes. DataLedger API works with standard HTTP requests, making it compatible with:

• Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, and other CRMs
• Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat) automation platforms
• Custom integrations using any programming language

Use the API to enrich existing company records automatically or build prospecting workflows.

Do you provide OpenAPI/Swagger documentation?

Yes. Full interactive API documentation is available at api.dataledger.uk/docs/v1

This includes detailed schemas, example requests/responses, and a "try it out" interface for testing endpoints.

What programming languages can I use?

Any language that can make HTTP requests. Common choices include:

• Python (requests, httpx)
• JavaScript/Node.js (fetch, axios)
• PHP (curl, Guzzle)
• Ruby (Net::HTTP, HTTParty)
• Java (HttpClient, OkHttp)
• C# (.NET HttpClient)

Is there pagination for search results?

Yes. Use limit and offset parameters:

• limit (number of results per page, max 500)
• offset (number of records to skip)

How do I handle errors?

The API uses standard HTTP status codes:

• 200: Success
• 204: No content found (empty search results)
• 400: Bad request (invalid parameters)
• 403: Missing or invalid API key
• 429: Rate limit exceeded
• 500/502: Server error

Error responses include descriptive messages explaining the issue.

Can I cache API responses?

Yes. Caching is encouraged to reduce API calls and costs:

• Company profiles: Cache for hours or days (filings don't change frequently)
• Autocomplete results: Cache for 5-10 seconds (for search-as-you-type)
• Search results: Cache appropriately based on your use case

What about GDPR and data privacy?

DataLedger data is derived from public Companies House records which are legally published documents.

Company financial information is public by law in the UK. As this is corporate data about limited companies (not personal data about individuals), standard GDPR personal data protections do not apply.

We comply with all applicable UK data protection regulations. Full terms: dataledger.uk/terms

Can you help define my dataset or query?

Yes. We regularly help customers shape filters, metrics and datasets to match their needs.

Email us at contact@dataledger.uk with your requirements and we'll help refine the approach.

Do you offer support for API integration?

Yes. Support is included with all paid plans:

• Pro Plan: Email support
• Commercial Plan: Priority email support with faster response times
• Enterprise: Dedicated integration support available

How do I get started?

Three easy options:

• Try the API: Sign up free at hub.dataledger.uk (25 credits, no card)
• Buy a pre-built dataset: Browse datasets (instant download, £295)
• Request custom dataset: Email contact@dataledger.uk with your requirements

I have a question that's not answered here

Contact us at contact@dataledger.uk and we'll be happy to help.

We typically respond within 24 hours on business days.