API - Frequently Asked Questions
Overview
What is an API?
API is the acronym for Application Programming Interface, which is a computing term for a set of functions and procedures that one system – typically a software application or web service – can use to access features or data in another system. Essentially, APIs allow systems to talk to each other.
What type is the API?
It is a RESTful API.
Is there any additional cost for the OE API service?
Yes, there is. Please get in touch with your account manager to find out more information.
Can I access all databanks I have already subscribed to?
Yes. The API will provide access to all online databanks you have subscribed to.
How many users can use it?
A single technical account is used for your organisation and thus is not user-specific. However, please note that having an API doesn’t change the terms of your subscription agreement regarding the number of authorised users nor the permitted usage of the data. Please refer to your subscription agreement or contact your account manager if you are in doubt about your organisation’s subscription terms.
Can I have a trial on Databank API?
Yes, you can ask for a trial to explore our API and verify if it meets your needs before subscribing to the service. Please get in touch with your Account Manager to find out more information.
Using the API
Can I connect to OE API from third-party software, e.g. Tableau and Microsoft Power BI?
Yes, you can.
Any software application that can make the HTTP requests and handle the retrieved data can be used. You can see our Tableau guide and Power BI guide on connecting to our API from these applications.
Additionally, you may explore the Power BI sample report on our Github repository
What programming language should I use to be able to communicate with OE API?
You can use any programming language capable of making HTTP requests. We have examples in various programming languages in our GitHub repository.
What is the format of the response?
The data are returned in JSON format. However, there are API endpoints where you can get the data in CSV or XLSX flat files.
Can I get the reports via the API?
No. This API service is for the Global Data Workstation (v1) only. If you are interested in retrieving reports, please ask your Account Manager about our Report Feeds service.
Can I get the data from the OE model applications (GMW or/and GMWO) via the API?
No. This API service is for the Global Data Workstation (v1) only.
Can we request the data of the entire databank?
Yes, you can. However, if you need to download the entire databank at once, you need to use paging. You may find all the details, page limits, and examples here.
Are there limitations on how many requests we can make per day?
There are no limits on the number of requests you can make per day. However, to prevent abuse and keep the service fast and accessible to everyone, there is a soft rate limit of 60 requests per minute. A delay will be imposed on subsequent requests if this limit is reached. Please see our detailed guide on rate limits.
How do I know if a dataset is updated or not?
Each data series contains a metadata value called “Date of last update”, which includes the data that this data series was updated. If the date does not match the date on your previous request, it has been updated.
How frequently are the databanks updated?
Oxford Economics offers a large variety of databanks that are updated at various frequencies (twice per month, monthly, quarterly or annually). Please ask your account manager about the update frequency on the databanks you have subscribed to.
Are the data returned from the API the same as what we can view on the databank website?
Yes. The data you can retrieve from the API is exactly the same as the ones on the website. However, please
note that the API runs via our legacy Databank v1, which you can find at https://services.oxfordeconomics.com/data/.
Some additional features that Databank v2 provides are not available yet as part of the API service.
Why can I not retrieve data via API from a saved selection I have created on Databank v2?
Databank API is running against Databank v1 only – saved selections must be made on version 1 of the
databank (while logged in using the technical API account) to access it via the API.