Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)#

Answers to the most common questions about edgar-sec, the modern Python client for the SEC EDGAR® API.

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What is edgar-sec?

See Answer

edgar-sec is a fully typed, async-capable, and performance-oriented Python SDK for working with the SEC EDGAR API.

Highlights:

  • Synchronous and asynchronous access via EdgarAPI() and EdgarAPI().Async,

  • Structured @dataclass response models (e.g. Filing, CompanyFacts),

  • Built-in file caching and automatic retry/backoff with tenacity,

  • No API key or authentication required.

➔ See the Quick Start Guide for an example.

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How does edgar-sec compare to other EDGAR clients?#

See Answer

Unlike legacy tools or scraping-based methods, edgar-sec provides:

  • True async support with httpx.AsyncClient

  • Structured typed models instead of raw JSON

  • Built-in caching + rate-limiting

  • Robust helper utilities (e.g. get_cik() search by name/ticker)

  • Extensive docs and test coverage

➔ See the detailed Comparison with Other SEC EDGAR Clients for a breakdown.

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Is caching supported?#

See Answer

Yes — edgar-sec supports local file-based FIFO caching.

  • Configure via EdgarAPI(cache_mode=True, cache_size=1000)

  • Applies to both sync and async methods

  • Eliminates redundant requests and reduces bandwidth

import edgar_sec as ed
edgar = ed.EdgarAPI(cache_mode=True, cache_size=500)

➔ See Advanced Usage Examples for more.

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Can I use edgar-sec asynchronously?#

See Answer

Yes — all endpoints have async equivalents using edgar = EdgarAPI().Async

import edgar_sec as ed
import asyncio

async def main():
    edgar = ed.EdgarAPI().Async
    data = await edgar.get_submissions(ticker="AAPL")
    print(data.company_name)

asyncio.run(main())

Async support enables concurrent filing fetches and scalable automation.

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What helper tools are included?

See Answer
edgar-sec includes a built-in static helper:
import edgar_sec as ed

results = ed.EdgarHelpers.get_cik(ticker="AAPL")
print(results)

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Related Topics

Quick Start Guide

Install, fetch submissions, and start working with typed results.

edgar-sec Quickstart
Full API Documentation

Explore every method, parameter, and dataclass object.

API Reference
Example Projects

Real-world pipelines and batch jobs using the edgar-sec SDK.

edgar-sec Use Cases
Internal Architecture

Understand the modular client layout and retry mechanisms.

Design Structure