IATI Datastore

The IATI Datastore is a robust online data service that provides access to data published according to the IATI Standard. Version 3 of the Datastore API was launched on 11 January 2022, followed by its user interface Datastore Search on 8 March 2022.

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About the IATI Datastore

The IATI Datastore version 3 provides access to data published by organisations according to the IATI Standard on their resources and results.

  • Data is updated dynamically as it becomes available via the IATI Registry. We aim to process all data within 24 hours of its availability.
  • All valid IATI data (i.e. data that conforms to the IATI XML Schema) is available in JSON, CSV and XML formats.
  • Users can query IATI data on all elements and attributes contained in the Standard.
  • All IATI data can be queried and returned in one of three CSV formats:
    • One activity per row
    • One transaction per row
    • One budget per row

Accessing the IATI Datastore

IATI data can be accessed in two ways:

  • IATI Datastore Search
    • IATI Datastore Search. This is the front-end to the Datastore offering intuitive simple search and advanced search features. All data can be downloaded in XML, JSON, CSV, or Excel-friendly CSV formats, without pagination.
    • Simple Search behaves just like any familiar search engine and allows users the ability to quickly search the natural language elements of IATI for any words or phrases of interest.
    • Advanced Search allows users to filter their search results by any IATI element and chain those filters into complex queries which can be saved to file.
  • IATI Datastore v3 API

What data can be accessed?

The IATI Datastore provides access to data published by organisations using version 2 of the IATI Standard. This follows the decision by IATI members to deprecate version 1 of the Standard, which was implemented in July 2019.

To help ensure that users access good-quality data, the Datastore holds no data that does not adhere to the IATI Schema. The IATI Schema provides the exact order and format in which publishers should provide their XML files. More information about the IATI Schema can be found on its own page on the IATI website.

Files marked as critically invalid by the IATI Validator are not included in the IATI Datastore.

In what formats can I access the data?

The IATI Datastore allows you to convert original IATI data files, which are published in the format XML, into two additional formats: CSV and JSON. All data in the Datastore is filtered and output based on IATI activities. An exception to this is when converting the data into CSV format; this also allows you to return data based on budgets or transactions.

So, you can output:

  • XML – The Datastore returns the original activity XML data. All original published information is presented, as well as the metadata that is included in the XML output.
  • JSON – The Datastore will convert the published XML to JSON format. All original published information is presented, as well as the metadata that is included in the XML output. You can select the objects in a JSON file to represent individual activities, budgets or transactions.
  • CSV – The Datastore can convert the published XML data into CSV format. This format can then be used to analyse information using spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc or Google Sheets. You can select the rows in a CSV file to represent individual activities, budgets or transactions.
  • Excel (Datastore Search Only) – Datastore Search can return an Excel-optimised CSV format by clicking the “EXCEL” download button. This format ensures that Microsoft Excel correctly interprets file encoding and correctly displays accented characters by adding a UTF8 BOM. The format also fixes a bug some users of Microsoft Excel could experience while opening the CSV format where rows incorrectly wrap in the middle of long cells. This is accomplished by truncating individual cells longer than 32,700 characters, so if your software can parse long cells, we recommend you continue using the original CSV download format.

Who should use the IATI Datastore version 3 API?

Users of the IATI Datastore will need to have technical competency and understand the basic structure and elements of the IATI Standard. This is to ensure that users are aware of what types of development and humanitarian data they can query and access. Users are provided with this information in the:

Upcoming work: Powering IATI tools

Launching the new Datastore marks an essential step in the journey to improve the access of IATI data. In 2022 the new API will be used to power new IATI data tools to meet the needs of a wide-range of data users.

IATI’s Technical Team plans to build a web application for version 3 of the Datastore. In addition, the data presented by the next version of d-Portal will be consistent with that of the Datastore, and between the two applications data-processing features for consideration include (but are not limited to):

  • Currency conversion
  • Sector/country/region disaggregation
  • CSV builder, allowing users to build and format their own files

Datastore maintenance and contacts

The IATI Datastore has been developed by the IATI Technical Team. If you discover a bug or have an idea for an enhancement of the product, please raise these on the issue tracker on the Github repository.

For additional support on using (or transitioning over) to the new API, please contact the IATI Helpdesk: [email protected]. IATI’s Technical Team will happily set up a call to help get you started.

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