FTP Information on the EDGAR Database

Welcome to the EDGAR Database. This file contains introductory information and will be periodically revised. This site will allow you to retrieve publicly available filings submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission from January 1994 to the present. Non-electronic filings, and filings made prior to 1994, will not be available here.

The data in this project consists of electronic filings by corporations to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Not all filings are made in electronic format. See Important Information About EDGAR for information about the exceptions.

Please note that EDGAR filings are posted to this site 24 hours after the date of filing.

This service currently supports two types of access:

1. Web Browser (used by most visitors to the site)
2. Anonymous FTP (used primarily by those who download filings in bulk)

To use anonymous FTP, use your File Transfer Protocol software to connect to ftp.sec.gov and log in as user "anonymous" with a password of your electronic mail address. Large FTP transfer requests (greater than 5 documents/filings) must be performed after 9:00 PM Eastern.

Getting Started

FTP users will want to begin with the indices that are generated each day. The company index contains a list sorted by company name of each submission and the associated file name.

Type:

ftp> ascii
ftp> cd edgar/full-index
ftp> get company.idx

Likewise, another index is generated that has the same data but is sorted by form type.

There is also a master index (master.idx).

Getting Documentation on the Various Form Types

For information on what each form is, FTP users should look in the /forms directory. The file general.info there is a master document describing all forms, and the directory also contains smaller pieces pertaining to specific forms. If you are using the ftp interface, you would type:

ftp> ascii
ftp> cd forms
ftp> get general.info

Getting the Actual Text Files

data/99830/0000099830-94-000037.txt

If you are using the anonymous FTP interface, you would login as "anonymous", change to the edgar directory and issue the following command:

ftp> ascii
ftp> cd data/99830/
ftp> get 0000099830-94-000037.txt

Webmaster Note FTP users should also see the recent Notice on the restructuring of the website EDGAR data.

Direct Bulk Feed of EDGAR Data

As of November 1, 1998, the data dissemination service is being operated by Northrop Grumman Corp. Contact them for more information:

Amir Abouelnaga
email: amir.a.abouelnaga@ngc.com.

Help With Questions About EDGAR

We will make every effort to answer general queries about the EDGAR system as soon as possible if they are directed (via electronic mail) to webtech@sec.gov. Note that this mailbox is for EDGAR-related queries only. To request information on other Commission programs, see the SEC's electronic mailbox listing.

http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/ftpusers.htm