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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.shovels.ai/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Query parameters are additional details you include in your API request to specify the data you want to retrieve. They help refine your query to get more relevant results.

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Common Query Parameters

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Geographic Filtering

The geo_id parameter enables precise searching by:
  • State (e.g., CA, TX, FL)
  • Zip code (e.g., 94103)
  • City or county
  • Specific address

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Date Filtering

Filter permits by date ranges:
  • permit_from - Start date for permit search
  • permit_to - End date for permit search

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Pagination

Control result sets:
  • size - Number of records per page (default: 50, max: 100)
  • cursor - For cursor-based pagination (recommended)
  • page - Page number for offset-based pagination (deprecated)

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Example Requests

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Search permits in California from 2024

curl -X GET \
  "https://api.shovels.ai/v2/permits/search?geo_id=CA&permit_from=2024-01-01&permit_to=2024-12-31&size=100" \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"

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Search contractors by name

curl -X GET \
  "https://api.shovels.ai/v2/contractors/search?name=Smith" \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
The geo_id parameter is a unified geography filter. The same permit search works whether you pass a state abbreviation, zip code, or individual address geo_id—you’re just swapping out the geography level.

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Using Filters Efficiently

To optimize your API responses:
  1. Apply date filters to narrow results
  2. Use property type filters when relevant
  3. Start with broader geography, then narrow down
  4. Use the /list/* endpoints to get valid values for filter parameters

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Learn More