# National Archives API

> National Archives returns catalog records and is available as a workflow and API.

National Archives (NARA) Search records returns public catalog records matching keywords, with optional year, material type, and digitization filters.

- Page: https://fous.com/workflows/national-archives
- Handle: `@national-archives`
- Category: [Education](https://fous.com/workflows/category/education)
- Source website: https://catalog.archives.gov
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026
- Fous is not affiliated with National Archives.

## Methods

### Search records

Operation `search_records`, version 1. 1 credit per call.

Search 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.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `page` | integer | no | `2` | Page of matching results, for example 2. |
| `query` | string | yes | `"Apollo 11"` | Keywords to find in catalog records, for example Apollo 11. |
| `end_year` | integer | no | `1969` | Latest year to search, for example 1969. |
| `start_year` | integer | no | `1960` | Earliest year to search, for example 1960. |
| `max_results` | integer | no | `5` | Number of records per page, for example 20. |
| `online_only` | boolean | no | `true` | Whether to include only digitized records, for example true. |
| `record_type` | string | no | `"photographs"` | Material type to include, for example photographs. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "query"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "page": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 1,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Page of matching results, for example 2.",
      "x-fous-developer": true,
      "examples": [
        2
      ]
    },
    "query": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "Keywords to find in catalog records, for example Apollo 11.",
      "examples": [
        "Apollo 11",
        "ZZZZthisisnotarecord4299040304"
      ]
    },
    "end_year": {
      "type": "integer",
      "maximum": 2100,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Latest year to search, for example 1969.",
      "examples": [
        1969
      ]
    },
    "start_year": {
      "type": "integer",
      "maximum": 2100,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Earliest year to search, for example 1960.",
      "examples": [
        1960
      ]
    },
    "max_results": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 20,
      "maximum": 100,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Number of records per page, for example 20.",
      "x-fous-developer": true,
      "examples": [
        5
      ]
    },
    "online_only": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "default": false,
      "description": "Whether to include only digitized records, for example true.",
      "examples": [
        true
      ]
    },
    "record_type": {
      "enum": [
        "any",
        "textual records",
        "photographs",
        "maps",
        "moving images",
        "sound recordings"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "any",
      "description": "Material type to include, for example photographs.",
      "examples": [
        "photographs"
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "page": 2,
      "query": "Apollo 11",
      "end_year": 1969,
      "start_year": 1960,
      "max_results": 5,
      "online_only": true,
      "record_type": "photographs"
    },
    {
      "query": "Apollo 11"
    },
    {
      "query": "ZZZZthisisnotarecord4299040304"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `records` | array |  | Matching catalog records in relevance order. |
| `records[].date` | string or null | `"April 17, 1970"` |  |
| `records[].title` | string | `"President Richard Nixon, Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins, Apollo 8 Astronaut William Anders, and Henry Kissinger Wa` |  |
| `records[].digitized` | boolean | `true` |  |
| `records[].image_links` | array |  |  |
| `records[].record_type` | string or null | `"Photographs and other Graphic Materials"` |  |
| `records[].catalog_link` | string | `"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/34929665"` |  |
| `records[].record_group` | string or null | `"Collection RN-WHPO: White House Photo Office Collection (Nixon Administration)"` |  |
| `records[].creating_agency` | string or null | `"President (1969-1974 : Nixon). White House Photo Office. 1969-1974; General Services Administration. National Archives ` |  |
| `records[].short_description` | string or null | `"James E. Webb, head of National Aeronautics and Space Administration, leans over to speak to President Lyndon B. Johnso` |  |
| `records[].national_archives_identifier` | string | `"34929665"` |  |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "page": 2,
  "query": "Apollo 11",
  "end_year": 1969,
  "start_year": 1960,
  "max_results": 5,
  "online_only": true,
  "record_type": "photographs"
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "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"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Quick start

Call the API with a Fous API key (`FOUS_API_KEY`). To create one, turn on Developer mode in Fous Studio, then open Keys & connections → API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys).

```bash
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
: "${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example}"

curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 120 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_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"
  }
}'
```

```python
# Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed.
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
import json
import os
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = os.environ.get("FOUS_API_KEY")
if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example")

body = json.loads("{\n  \"api\": \"@national-archives\",\n  \"visibility\": \"public\",\n  \"operation\": \"search_records\",\n  \"version\": 1,\n  \"input\": {\n    \"page\": 2,\n    \"query\": \"Apollo 11\",\n    \"end_year\": 1969,\n    \"start_year\": 1960,\n    \"max_results\": 5,\n    \"online_only\": true,\n    \"record_type\": \"photographs\"\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=120) 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.
// First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
const apiKey = process.env.FOUS_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example");

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(120_000),
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "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"
  }
}),
});
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);
```

Or describe the data in plain language: send `{"api":"@national-archives","prompt":"Describe the data you need, with every detail"}` to the same URL. Fous fills in the input, runs the method that fits and returns only the fields you asked for; `data.route.calls[].request` is the exact call it made. Routing is free; the run costs the same.

## Use cases

- 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

## FAQ

### Is Fous affiliated with National Archives?

No. Fous is not affiliated with National Archives. This workflow reads the public catalog.archives.gov website and returns its data.

### How much does it cost?

Each run costs 1 credit. 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; repeating the same request within a day may return the saved result. Fous checks this workflow automatically; it last passed a check on Sep 29, 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.

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