Independent · Not affiliated with the FDA

FDA public data, without the headache

We built openFDA Explorer so anyone can look up drug recalls, device reports, food enforcement actions, and the rest of the 26 openFDA endpoints — no API experience required.

Start browsing Read the guides
26 openFDA endpoints
6 data categories
Free public data

How it works

Four steps from landing here to reading real FDA public records

1

Pick a category

Drugs, devices, food, tobacco, veterinary, or other — 6 groups covering every openFDA endpoint.

2

Run a search

Type a query, set a limit, and hit run. We send it to openFDA and return the JSON on screen.

3

Read the results

Scroll through formatted output, copy the raw JSON, or tweak your search until you find what you need.

4

Check the guide

Each endpoint has a walkthrough with field names, example searches, and tips that actually help.

Pick a category

Each section maps to a group of openFDA API endpoints you can search right here

Drug

Side effects, labels, recalls, shortages, and approval history

6 endpoints

Device

Clearances, approvals, UDIs, recalls, and malfunction reports

9 endpoints

Food

Recalls and consumer-reported food issues

2 endpoints

Animal & Veterinary

Adverse events reported for animal drugs

1 endpoints

Tobacco

Product complaints and FDA research datasets

4 endpoints

Other

Substances, identifiers, press archives, and reference files

4 endpoints

Who uses openFDA Explorer?

Anyone who needs FDA public data without writing scripts first

Developers

Prototype API calls, inspect response shapes, and grab example URLs before wiring up your own app.

Journalists

Look up recalls, adverse events, and enforcement actions when researching a story — no data team required.

Researchers

Explore FAERS reports, device clearances, and food enforcement data for academic or policy work.

Curious readers

Check whether a drug has been recalled, what a device 510(k) filing looks like, or how open data is structured.

Written guides for every endpoint

26 short articles — one per API — with real search examples and plain-English explanations.

Open the blog

Popular starting points

Endpoints people tend to open first

Adverse Events Drug
Product Labeling Drug
510(k) Clearances Device
Recall Enforcement Food
Problem Reports Tobacco
Substance Data Other

Why use this site?

openFDA is free and public. We just made it easier to reach.

  • All 26 endpoints in one place No jumping between docs and separate API URLs.
  • Search without Postman A form, a button, and readable JSON — that is the whole workflow.
  • Guides written in plain English Every endpoint has an article with real query examples.
  • Free to use Public FDA data, no account needed to browse or search.
Browse all APIs
Example searches you can try right now
classification:Class+I Drug recall enforcement — Class I recalls openfda.brand_name:aspirin Drug product labeling for aspirin applicant:medtronic 510(k) clearances by applicant name classification:Class+I Food recall enforcement reports

Common questions

Quick answers before you dive in

No. openFDA Explorer is an independent website. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We pull data from the public openFDA API — we do not create or edit FDA records.

Not for casual browsing on this site. openFDA allows anonymous requests with lower rate limits. If you automate heavy queries, register for a free key at open.fda.gov.

FDA public data is useful for research and general interest. It is not medical advice. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional about your health. Adverse event reports, in particular, do not prove causation.

Everything openFDA publishes: drug adverse events (FAERS), labels, recalls, device 510(k)s and PMAs, food enforcement, tobacco reports, veterinary events, substance files, and more — 26 endpoints total.
Note: openFDA Explorer is an independent website. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). All FDA data shown here comes from the public openFDA API. We built this site to make that data easier to browse — nothing more.