Empty JSON Messages

API Issues
1

I am presently getting empty JSON messages “{}” on the web service, for instance on the URLs https://api.companieshouse.gov.uk/search/officers?q=XXXXX&items_per_page=20&start_index=1 and https://api.companieshouse.gov.uk/search/companies?q=YYYYY&items_per_page=20&start_index=1 Having authenticated on the HTTP Header. This is happening with my Java code and on JMeter.

Is there a problem with the service or is there a mistake that I am making?

2

Hi Richard,

Both of those requests work for me. Are you still having this problem?

Andrew

3

Yes, I am. Although it varies based on how I am calling it.

On Java I am getting a 502 (Bad Gateway) error, using the URL https://api.companieshouse.gov.uk/search/companies?q=king&items_per_page=20&start_index=1 (I have searched for “king” on the Try It function on the website and it returns values) authorised using the pair “Authorization”, “Basic “+encodedPassword[from the API Key field on the website after login]+”:”, with values: “Content-Type”, “text/json”, “Content-Length”, “10000000” and the request method GET.

On JMeter I am getting just the empty brackets mentioned before for the JSON response, server name api.companieshouse.gov.uk using https GET, with Authorization, “Basic “+encodedPassword[from the API Key field on the website after login]+”:” and Content-Type, text/json, using the path search/companies?q=king&items_per_page=20&start_index=1

I can’t see anything that varies from the instructions given on the forum or in the documentation, so I am not too sure what the problem would be. I presume there are no problems using this service internationally?

Thanks

4

The 502 error implies it’s a server error on our side but I’ve tried the same query a number of times and it worked every time.

Can you try (replacing ENCODED_API_KEY with your encoded API key):
curl -v https://api.companieshouse.gov.uk/search/companies\?q\=king\&items_per_page\=20\&start_index\=1 --header "Authorization: Basic <ENCODED_API_KEY>"

5

The 502 error implies it’s a server error on our side but I’ve tried the same query a number of times and it worked every time.

Can you try (replacing ENCODED_API_KEY with your encoded API key):
curl -v https://api.companieshouse.gov.uk/search/companies\?q\=king\&items_per_page\=20\&start_index\=1 --header "Authorization: Basic <ENCODED_API_KEY>"

6

I was able to get results using the command “curl -uXXXXXX: https://api.companieshouse.gov.uk/search/companies?q=king&items_per_page=20&start_index=1” (XXXXXX being the API_Key on the website after login)

I still haven’t been able to get this to work on either JMeter or Java code.

But I am a bit confused as to what I am supposed to submit on the Authorization property, is it the API_Key as on the site with a colon appended (as on my curl command) or a base 64 encoding of the key with colon on the end?

The command that you sent results in a “HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized” error, both with XXXXXX: and base64Encode(XXXXXX:)

7

I added an Accept header and now I can access the service :grinning:

Thanks for all your help.

8

No problem. Please report back if you have any further problems.