About this site

openFDA Explorer is a side project we built because the official openFDA API is powerful but not exactly friendly if you just want to look something up quickly. We wired up all 26 public endpoints behind a simple search interface and wrote guides for each one.

We are not the FDA. openFDA Explorer is an independent website. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). When you run a search here, your query goes to the same public API documented at open.fda.gov. We do not modify the underlying records.

What you can browse

Drug — side-effect reports (FAERS), labels, NDC codes, recalls, Drugs@FDA approvals, shortages
Device — 510(k) clearances, PMA filings, UDI records, classifications, recalls, malfunctions
Food — recall enforcement reports and CAERS consumer complaints
Animal & Veterinary — adverse events tied to animal drugs
Tobacco — product problem reports and FDA prevention research datasets
Other — historical press releases, substance files, UNII identifiers, NSDE records

How we keep the lights on

The site is free to use. We may show ads (including through Google AdSense) to cover hosting costs. That does not change how the data is displayed or which endpoints you can reach.

Optional API key

openFDA works fine without a key for casual browsing. If you plan to run lots of automated queries, register for a free key at open.fda.gov — it raises your rate limit. Site operators can drop a key into config/config.php under OPENFDA_API_KEY.

Please read this: 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 reflect what someone submitted; they do not prove a drug or device caused a problem. Full details are on our Disclaimer page.