Custom Connector
GovInfo API Connector
US
The GovInfo Connector provides access to U.S. Government publications and legislative documents via a RESTful API powered by GovInfo.gov. It lets users query collections like congressional records, bills, statutes, hearings, and more — ideal for civic tech platforms, legal research tools, and government data dashboards.
Overview
Integration Overview
The GovInfo Connector exposes the following endpoints:
- getCollections. Retrieve metadata and configuration of collections (e.g. BILLS, CREC).
- searchCollection. Search documents within collections using rich filters.
- getPackage. Get metadata about a specific package.
- getRelatedPackages. Access related documents/packages for a given ID.
- getPackageFile. Get specific document content in a chosen format (PDF, XML).
- getUpdatedPackages. Get new or updated documents since a date.
- getApiVersion. Return the current API version.
Documentation
Detailed Integration Documentation
Get Collections
| Operation ID | getCollections |
|---|---|
| Endpoint | /collections |
| Purpose | Lists all available collections (e.g. BILLS, CREC). |
| Output | JSON with collection metadata. |
| Workflow example | Dynamically populate dropdowns for filtering. |
Search Collection by Parameters
| Operation ID | searchCollection |
|---|---|
| Endpoint | /collections/{collection}/search |
| Purpose | Search for documents in a specific collection. |
| Output | Matching results with document metadata. |
| Workflow example | Use in advanced search interfaces for federal publications. |
Get Package Metadata
| Operation ID | getPackage |
|---|---|
| Endpoint | /packages/{packageId} |
| Parameters | packageId (path): e.g. BILLS-117hr1ih. |
| Purpose | Retrieve detailed metadata about a document package. |
| Output | JSON with full package metadata. |
| Workflow example | Used to show summary info before downloading the file. |
Get Related Documents for Package
| Operation ID | getRelatedPackages |
|---|---|
| Endpoint | /packages/{packageId}/related |
| Purpose | Returns related documents/packages to a given ID. |
| Output | JSON list of related package IDs. |
| Workflow example | Navigate to related legislation or hearings. |
Get Specific Document by Format
| Operation ID | getPackageFile |
|---|---|
| Endpoint | /packages/{packageId}/files/{fileName} |
| Purpose | Fetch a document in a specific format (e.g. PDF, XML). |
| Output | File stream (application/pdf, application/xml, etc.). |
| Workflow example | Used to display or download the actual legal document. |
Get Collection Updates by Date
| Operation ID | getUpdatedPackages |
|---|---|
| Endpoint | /collections/{collection}/{lastModifiedStartDate} |
| Parameters | collection (path); lastModifiedStartDate (path, ISO 8601). |
| Purpose | Get new or updated documents since a date. |
| Output | JSON with updated packages. |
| Workflow example | Use in a background job to sync newly published documents. |
Get API Version
| Operation ID | getApiVersion |
|---|---|
| Endpoint | /version |
| Purpose | Returns the current API version. |
| Output | Version string. |
| Workflow example | Validate compatibility before integration. |
Example Workflow: Congressional Document Viewer
| Load collections | Call /collections to load all available collections. |
|---|---|
| Search | User selects a collection and applies filters via /collections/{collection}/search. |
| Show summary | Call /packages/{packageId} to show a document summary. |
| Download/view | Use /packages/{packageId}/files/{fileName} to view or download the full file. |
| Sync updates | Use /collections/{collection}/{lastModifiedStartDate} to sync new updates. |
Support
For technical support, contact custom-connectors-support@isolutions.sa.