NCBI Datasets API

NCBI Datasets API

NCBI's Datasets v2 REST API and command-line tools return metadata reports and downloadable data packages for genome assemblies, genes, viruses and taxonomy (api.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/datasets/v2). Distinct from NCBI E-utilities (ncbi-eutilities-pubmed), which searches PubMed literature.

Coverage

Genome assembly, gene, virus and taxonomy metadata reports, plus sequence and annotation data packages, drawn from NCBI databases. NCBI notes that some submitters of the original data may claim intellectual property rights in what they submitted. History start and update frequency: Not stated.

Verdict

Keyless REST API (api.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/datasets/v2) and command-line tools for NCBI genome, gene, virus and taxonomy data. Licensed under Provider terms: NCBI's Website and Data Usage Policies page says: "Therefore, NCBI itself places no restrictions on the use or distribution of the data contained therein." It adds: "However, some submitters of the original data (or the country of origin of such data) may claim patent, copyright, or other intellectual property rights in all or a portion of the data (that has been submitted)." Rate limits: the API keys page says: "NCBI Datasets API and command-line tool requests are rate-limited. By default, this rate limit is set at 5 requests per second (rps)." and "API keys provide enhanced access to the NCBI Datasets API and command-line tools by allowing you to make requests at a rate of 10 rps." Signal Lab links only.