# Thomasnet API

> Thomasnet returns industrial supplier listings and company details, available as a workflow and API.

Thomasnet finds North American industrial suppliers by product or service, with optional location and supplier type filters. Search suppliers returns company details, including location, certifications, size, and sales range, and requires a product or service.

- Page: https://fous.com/tools/thomasnet
- Handle: `@thomasnet`
- Category: [Commerce](https://fous.com/tools/category/commerce)
- Source website: https://thomasnet.com
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026

## Methods

### Search suppliers

Operation `search_suppliers`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.

Find North American industrial suppliers for a product or service, optionally narrowing by location and supplier type. Results follow the public listing order within each region; sign-in limits deeper pages, so fewer than the requested number may be returned and filters only cover public listings. Certifications come from public certification listings or explicit company-profile claims.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `max_results` | integer | no | `5` | Maximum number of suppliers to return, for example 20. |
| `supplier_type` | string | no | `"distributor"` | Type of supplier to find, for example manufacturer. |
| `state_or_province` | string | no | `"Michigan"` | US state or Canadian province name, for example Ohio. Leave blank for all North America. |
| `product_or_service` | string | yes | `"industrial valves"` | The product or service to find, for example CNC machining. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "product_or_service"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "max_results": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 20,
      "maximum": 50,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Maximum number of suppliers to return, for example 20.",
      "x-fous-developer": true,
      "examples": [
        5,
        3
      ]
    },
    "supplier_type": {
      "enum": [
        "any",
        "manufacturer",
        "distributor",
        "service_company"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "any",
      "description": "Type of supplier to find, for example manufacturer.",
      "examples": [
        "distributor",
        "manufacturer"
      ]
    },
    "state_or_province": {
      "type": "string",
      "default": "",
      "description": "US state or Canadian province name, for example Ohio. Leave blank for all North America.",
      "examples": [
        "Michigan"
      ]
    },
    "product_or_service": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "The product or service to find, for example CNC machining.",
      "examples": [
        "industrial valves",
        "CNC machining",
        "ultraunlikelyzxcmachiningqwe"
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "max_results": 5,
      "supplier_type": "distributor",
      "state_or_province": "Michigan",
      "product_or_service": "industrial valves"
    },
    {
      "product_or_service": "CNC machining"
    },
    {
      "product_or_service": "ultraunlikelyzxcmachiningqwe"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `suppliers` | array |  |  |
| `suppliers[].city` | string or null | `"Portage"` |  |
| `suppliers[].company_name` | string or null | `"Colonial Engineering, Inc."` |  |
| `suppliers[].year_founded` | integer or null | `1974` |  |
| `suppliers[].supplier_type` | string or null | `"Manufacturer"` |  |
| `suppliers[].certifications` | array |  |  |
| `suppliers[].company_website` | string or null | `"https://colonialengineering.com/"` |  |
| `suppliers[].short_description` | string or null | `"Manufacturer of ball, check, butterfly, and foot plastic valves made from acetal, PVC, CPVC, and polypropylene. Availab` |  |
| `suppliers[].state_or_province` | string or null | `"Michigan"` |  |
| `suppliers[].annual_sales_range` | string or null | `"$10 - 24.9 Mil"` |  |
| `suppliers[].number_of_employees` | string or null | `"10-49"` |  |
| `suppliers[].thomasnet_company_id` | string | `"180183"` |  |
| `suppliers[].thomasnet_profile_link` | string | `"https://www.thomasnet.com/company/colonial-engineering-inc-180183/profile"` |  |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "max_results": 5,
  "supplier_type": "distributor",
  "state_or_province": "Michigan",
  "product_or_service": "industrial valves"
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "suppliers": [
    {
      "city": "Portage",
      "company_name": "Colonial Engineering, Inc.",
      "year_founded": 1974,
      "supplier_type": "Manufacturer",
      "certifications": [
        "ISO 9001"
      ],
      "company_website": "https://colonialengineering.com/",
      "short_description": "Manufacturer of ball, check, butterfly, and foot plastic valves made from acetal, PVC, CPVC, and polypropylene. Available accessory options are O-rings, seals, sockets, thread ends, and seats. Serves …",
      "state_or_province": "Michigan",
      "annual_sales_range": "$10 - 24.9 Mil",
      "number_of_employees": "10-49",
      "thomasnet_company_id": "180183",
      "thomasnet_profile_link": "https://www.thomasnet.com/company/colonial-engineering-inc-180183/profile"
    },
    {
      "city": "Troy",
      "company_name": "Brehob Corporation",
      "year_founded": 1953,
      "supplier_type": "Distributor",
      "certifications": [],
      "company_website": "https://www.brehob.com/",
      "short_description": "Distributor of air compressor accessories including valves . Automatic drain and relief valves are offered. Serves building, medical, paper mill, and auto part manufacturing industries . 24/7 emergenc…",
      "state_or_province": "Michigan",
      "annual_sales_range": "$25 - 49.9 Mil",
      "number_of_employees": "100-199",
      "thomasnet_company_id": "122682",
      "thomasnet_profile_link": "https://www.thomasnet.com/company/brehob-corporation-122682/profile"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Quick start

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with a Fous API key. To create one, open Developers at the bottom of Fous Studio, turn on Developer mode, then go to API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys). Change the values in `input` to run the same tool on new data.

```bash
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": "@thomasnet",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "search_suppliers",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "max_results": 5,
    "supplier_type": "distributor",
    "state_or_province": "Michigan",
    "product_or_service": "industrial valves"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'
```

```python
# Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed.
import json
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"

body = json.loads("{\n  \"api\": \"@thomasnet\",\n  \"visibility\": \"public\",\n  \"operation\": \"search_suppliers\",\n  \"version\": 1,\n  \"input\": {\n    \"max_results\": 5,\n    \"supplier_type\": \"distributor\",\n    \"state_or_province\": \"Michigan\",\n    \"product_or_service\": \"industrial valves\"\n  },\n  \"response\": {\n    \"format\": \"json\"\n  }\n}")
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.fous.com/v1/query",
    data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    method="POST",
)
try:
    with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=180) as response:
        result = json.load(response)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
    raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {error.code}: {error.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace')}") from error
if result.get("success") is False:
    raise RuntimeError(result.get("error", {}).get("message", "Request failed"))
print(json.dumps(result["data"]["output"], indent=2))
```

```typescript
// Save as fous.mts and run with npx tsx fous.mts.
const apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(180_000),
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "api": "@thomasnet",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "search_suppliers",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "max_results": 5,
    "supplier_type": "distributor",
    "state_or_province": "Michigan",
    "product_or_service": "industrial valves"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}),
});
type ApiResult = { success: boolean; data?: { output: unknown }; error?: { message: string } };
const result: ApiResult = await response.json();
if (!response.ok || result.success === false) {
  throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`);
}
if (!result.data) throw new Error("Missing API response data");
console.log(result.data.output);
```

## Use from an AI assistant

Connect this tool to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and any MCP client as its own MCP server. Each method is a typed tool whose arguments are the method’s input.

- Server URL: `https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/thomasnet`
- Authorization: `Authorization: Bearer <Fous API key>`

**Tools**

- `search_suppliers`: Search suppliers. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.
- `fous_get_run`: the result of a run that was still going, by its `request_id`. Free.

Claude Code:

```bash
claude mcp add --scope user --transport http fous-thomasnet https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/thomasnet --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}"
```

To give the assistant every tool, connect `https://api.fous.com/mcp`: it finds one with `fous_search_tools` and runs it with `fous_run_tool`. Setup for other clients: https://fous.com/llms-full.txt.

## Use cases

- Find suppliers for a product or service
- Narrow supplier searches by state or province
- Compare supplier types and certifications
- Review company locations and founding years
- Identify suppliers by employee count and sales range

## FAQ

### 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 Thomasnet 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 Thomasnet account?

No. You only need a Fous account.

### How current is the data?

Fous gets the data from thomasnet.com 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 Sep 29, 2026.

### Which suppliers offer a particular product or service?

Use Search suppliers with a product or service to find matching North American industrial suppliers.

### Can I filter suppliers by location or type?

Search suppliers accepts a state or province and supplier type as optional filters.

### What details are available for each supplier?

Search suppliers returns details including company name, location, certifications, founding year, employee count, and annual sales range.

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