Bankruptcy Observer

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README

# Bankruptcy Observer — API & MCP

Public documentation and registry metadata for the **Bankruptcy Observer API** and **MCP server**. This repository contains no application source code.

## What this is

- **Bankruptcy REST API** — Programmatic access to US business bankruptcy data (search, case by EIN, docket items, cases by NAICS/state, and more).
- **Bankruptcy MCP server** — The same data and queries via the [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) for AI assistants and LLM workflows.

Data covers **US business bankruptcies** (federal courts) only. Consumer-only filings and non-US jurisdictions are not included.

---

## Free lookups (no token, no API key, no payment)

AI assistants and users can look up bankruptcy cases with **no account, no API key, and no API token**:

| Free query | MCP tool | Example |
|------------|----------|---------|
| **Debtor name** | `search_bankruptcy_cases_tool` | `search_term: "JOY-CPW, INC."` — no court required |
| **Case number** | `get_case_by_case_number_tool` | `short_case_number: "26-10543"` — no court required |

- Call these tools **without an API token**. Only case number or name is needed; **court is not required**. If more than one case matches (e.g. same case number in multiple courts), the server returns **all** matching cases. Each result includes limited case info; full case details are available with a paid plan.
- All other queries (wildcard search, EIN, industry, state, date range, docket, etc.) require a subscription (API token).

**Docs:** [https://mcp.bankruptcyobserver.com/docs](https://mcp.bankruptcyobserver.com/docs) or [https://api.bankruptcyobserver.com/docs](https://api.bankruptcyobserver.com/docs) (GET, no auth). The MCP root `GET https://mcp.bankruptcyobserver.com/` also returns a `free_lookups` hint.

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## Sign-up and access

You can **sign up for a subscription through the MCP server**: use `list_plans_tool` to see plans, then `purchase_plan_tool` with `plan_id` (e.g. `professional`, `business`, `enterprise`) to get a Stripe Checkout link. After payment you receive an API token for the REST API and MCP. No need to go to the website to subscribe.

For questions about access, billing, or data coverage, use **only** the contact form at https://www.bankruptcyobserver.com/contact. Do not publish or use direct email addresses for contact.

**Paid plans (Stripe via MCP tools)**

- **Professional** — $1,500/month, up to **500** billable tool calls/month.
- **Business** — $3,500/month, up to **2,000** billable tool calls/month.
- **Enterprise** — $5,000/month, up to **100,000** billable tool calls/month (intended for multiple clients/teams).

Billable tool calls correspond to data tools invoked via MCP (for example, search, case by EIN, docket items, NAICS/state filters) or their REST API equivalents.

**Send the token in one of these ways:**

- `Authorization: Bearer <your-token>`
- `X-API-Key: <your-token>`
- `Api-Key: <your-token>`

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## Endpoints

| Service | Endpoint | Auth |
|--------|----------|------|
| REST API | `https://api.bankruptcyobserver.com/api/v1/...` | API token required |
| MCP      | `https://mcp.bankruptcyobserver.com/mcp`        | API token required |
| Docs     | `https://api.bankruptcyobserver.com/docs` or `https://mcp.bankruptcyobserver.com/docs` | None |

The `/mcp` path is the MCP protocol endpoint (POST only). For human-readable documentation, use the **Docs** URLs above (GET, no auth).

---

## Available queries and responses

The same queries are available on both the REST API and the MCP server. Each query returns JSON; case-level responses include the standard fields below unless noted.

### Query list

| # | Query | Inputs | What you get | Notes |
|---|-------|--------|--------------|--------|
| 1 | **Search** | `search_term`, `limit`, `skip`, optional `court_id` or `court_state` | List of cases with standard fields | **FREE (no key):** exact name returns limited info; full details are available with a paid plan. Otherwise: prefix (starts-with) on name; use `*term` for contains. For case number use Case by case number. |
| 2 | **Case by EIN** | `ein` | One case (or none) **+** `einInDatabase`: `"Yes"` or `"No"` | Single match; flag says whether we have this EIN. (Paid.) |
| 3 | **Docket items** | `shortCaseNumber`, optional `court_id` or `court_state`, `limit` | Case identifier, `dateDocketUpdated`, list of entries (itemNumber, itemText, itemDate, …) | Case resolved by short case number + optional court. (Paid.) |
| 4 | **Case by case number** | `shortCaseNumber`; optional `court_state` or `court_id` for paid disambiguation | List (free) or one case (paid) | **FREE (no key):** case number only, no court required; returns **all** matching cases. For paid requests, you may provide `court_state`/`court_id` to select a specific case when multiple courts match. |
| 5 | **Cases by NAICS** | `naics` (2–4 digits), `limit`, optional `start_date`, `end_date` | List of cases with standard fields | NAIC