National Archives
Archival records and historical records
Search the public U.S. National Archives Catalog for historical records.
Your information
Page of matching results, for example 2.
Keywords to find in catalog records, for example Apollo 11.
Latest year to search, for example 1969.
Earliest year to search, for example 1960.
Number of records per page, for example 20.
Whether to include only digitized records, for example true.
Material type to include, for example photographs.
Example results
Search results
About the National Archives tool
National Archives (NARA) Search records returns public catalog records matching keywords, with optional year, material type, and digitization filters.
Built from catalog.archives.gov. Last checked Oct 7, 2026.
Actions
Search records
1 creditSearch public National Archives Catalog records by keywords, year, material type, and online availability. Results follow catalog relevance order; year filters use catalog matches and may include records dated outside the range.
What you provide
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Pagepage | Number | Optional | Page of matching results, for example 2.Example: 2 |
Queryquery | Text | Required | Keywords to find in catalog records, for example Apollo 11.Example: Apollo 11 |
End Yearend_year | Number | Optional | Latest year to search, for example 1969.Example: 1969 |
Start Yearstart_year | Number | Optional | Earliest year to search, for example 1960.Example: 1960 |
Max Resultsmax_results | Number | Optional | Number of records per page, for example 20.Example: 5 |
Online Onlyonline_only | Yes or no | Optional | Whether to include only digitized records, for example true.Example: Yes |
Record Typerecord_type | Text | Optional | Material type to include, for example photographs.Example: Photographs |
What you get
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
Recordsrecords | List | Matching catalog records in relevance order. |
Daterecords[].date | Text | Example: April 17, 1970 |
Titlerecords[].title | Text | Example: President Richard Nixon, Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins, Apollo 8… |
Digitizedrecords[].digitized | Yes or no | Example: Yes |
Image Linksrecords[].image_links | List | |
Record Typerecords[].record_type | Text | Example: Photographs and other Graphic Materials |
Catalog Linkrecords[].catalog_link | Text | Example: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/34929665 |
Record Grouprecords[].record_group | Text | Example: Collection RN-WHPO: White House Photo Office Collection (Nixon Administration) |
Creating Agencyrecords[].creating_agency | Text | Example: President (1969-1974 : Nixon). White House Photo Office. 1969-1974; General… |
Short Descriptionrecords[].short_description | Text | Example: James E. Webb, head of National Aeronautics and Space Administration, leans… |
National Archives Identifierrecords[].national_archives_identifier | Text | Example: 34929665 |
Example result
For Page: 2, Query: Apollo 11, End Year: 1969, Start Year: 1960, Max Results: 5, Online Only: Yes, Record Type: Photographs
{
"records": [
{
"date": "April 17, 1970",
"title": "President Richard Nixon, Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins, Apollo 8 Astronaut William Anders, and Henry Kissinger Watch the Apollo 13 Command Module \"Odyssey\" Splash Down on Television",
"digitized": true,
"image_links": [
"https://catalog.archives.gov/medialz/presidential-libraries/nixon/194277/BATCH01/37-whpo-3359-07a.jpg"
],
"record_type": "Photographs and other Graphic Materials",
"catalog_link": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/34929665",
"record_group": "Collection RN-WHPO: White House Photo Office Collection (Nixon Administration)",
"creating_agency": "President (1969-1974 : Nixon). White House Photo Office. 1969-1974; General Services Administration. National Archives and Records Service. Office of Presidential Libraries. Office of Presidential Pap…",
"short_description": null,
"national_archives_identifier": "34929665"
},
{
"date": "July 16, 1969",
"title": "President and Mrs. Johnson and James Webb witness Apollo 11 launch",
"digitized": true,
"image_links": [
"https://catalog.archives.gov/medialz/presidential-libraries/truman/photographs/97/97-280.jpg"
],
"record_type": "Photographs and other Graphic Materials",
"catalog_link": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/350900580",
"record_group": "Collection HST-PHC: Photograph Collection",
"creating_agency": "National Archives and Records Administration. Office of Presidential Libraries. Harry S. Truman Library. (4/1/1985 - 7/31/2011)",
"short_description": "James E. Webb, head of National Aeronautics and Space Administration, leans over to speak to President Lyndon B. Johnson, and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson during the launch of Apollo 11 at Cape Kenned…",
"national_archives_identifier": "350900580"
}
]
}For developers
Call it from your code with one request. Change the values in input to run it on new data. To get an API key, open Developers at the bottom of Studio, turn on Developer mode and go to API keys.
curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
--fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 180 \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data-raw '{
"api": "@national-archives",
"visibility": "public",
"operation": "search_records",
"version": 1,
"input": {
"page": 2,
"query": "Apollo 11",
"end_year": 1969,
"start_year": 1960,
"max_results": 5,
"online_only": true,
"record_type": "photographs"
},
"response": {
"format": "json"
}
}'What you can do with it
- Find catalog records about a person, event, or topic
- Locate digitized records for research
- Filter records by year or material type
- Review records by title, date, or creating agency
Questions about National Archives
Can I run it with my own inputs?
Yes. Change the inputs in Studio and press Run, or send new inputs from your code, or ask a connected AI assistant.
Can I call this National Archives tool as an API?
Yes. Send a POST request to /v1/query with your Fous API key and the inputs, and get JSON back.
How much does it cost?
Each completed run costs 1 credit. Failed runs without a completed receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. With pay as you go, a credit costs 1¢. Monthly plans cost less per credit.
Do I need a National Archives account?
No. You only need a Fous account.
How current is the data?
Fous gets the data from catalog.archives.gov when you run it. Some results are reused for up to 24 hours, and results that use your account or key are never reused. It was last verified on Oct 7, 2026.
How can I find records about a topic?
Use Search records with keywords to find matching catalog records.
Can I find digitized records from a particular year?
Use Search records with keywords, year filters, and online availability.
What details are included for each record?
Search records returns titles, dates, material types, descriptions, creating agencies, and other catalog details.