What this endpoint does
Need historical documents data without downloading bulk files? The other/historicaldocument.json endpoint is the usual starting point. FDA press releases from 1913–2014.
Who uses it
Historians, chemists, and data engineers dip into these supplementary files for substance identifiers, old press releases, and NDC reference material.
Example request
Paste this into a browser or our Explorer (swap the search term as needed):
GET https://api.fda.gov/other/historicaldocument.json?search=title:aspirin&limit=5You should see JSON with meta.results.total telling you how many matches exist.
Searching the data
Start with search=title:aspirin in our Explorer or your own HTTP client. Each endpoint documents its own field list on open.fda.gov. Common knobs: limit (how many rows), skip (offset for paging), sort (field:asc or field:desc), and count (aggregate unique values).
Tips that save time
openFDA timestamps and text fields are not always pretty. Trim your expectations for spelling and missing values.
limit— usually capped at 1,000 per callskip— walk through large result setscount=some_field.exact— quick frequency tables
Before you rely on this data
openFDA Explorer is an independent website. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
FDA public data is useful for research and general interest. It is not medical advice. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional about your health. openFDA data may be incomplete or reported voluntarily — treat it as a starting point, not a verdict.