Check Company Name Availability
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API method to use: company_name_check
Documentation on the T2A API company_name_check method which checks if a proposed company name is already registered, or if there is an existing company name which is too similar to the proposed name, under the Companies House 2006 regulations.Description
Checks if a proposed company name is already registered, or if there is an existing company name which is too similar to the proposed name, under the Companies House 2006 regulations.
If similar name(s) are found the method will return the name entered and a list of companies, detailing the company name and company number, with names the same as or too similar to the proposed name.
For example, a name check on "Simunix Wholesellers" will return "no match", but a name check on "Simunix International" will return "Simunix Limited" because the proposed name is too similar to the latter.
Mandatory Parameters
Name | Description |
---|---|
api_key or javascript_key |
Use your API key if invoking server-side. If invoking from the browser via JavaScript, generate a JavaScript key using the javascript_key method. |
name | A proposed company name. |
Optional Parameters
Name | Description |
---|---|
client | You can optionally include an identifier for your final client or user. This is logged in your usage log and you will be able to view your usage statistics by client. |
output | Set to json for a JSON response; the default response is XML.
Not applicable to the SOAP API. |
callback | When using JSON, specify a JSONP wrapper in which the JSON response is to be wrapped. |
Returned Values
The XML response is contained within a <company_name_check_res>
element.
Name | Description |
---|---|
status | Returns ok if the operation has succeeded, or error if an
error has occurred; Returns the error_code for error details. |
error_code | Returns the error code when the status is error . See below for error codes. |
t2a_version_number | The current API version number. |
credit_used | The number of credits used in order to execute the request. |
mode | Returns normal or test when executed in the
free test mode. |
input_name | The name parameter as entered. |
company_short_list | An array of company_short records. If present, this list shows the company or companies whose name(s) is or are too similar to the proposed name. |
Error Codes
See the common error codes. There are no errors which are specific to this method.
Free Test Mode
When operating in the free test mode errors are returned if mandatory parameters are missing, or it returns a dummy data response, in an identical format to a real response.
Note that the mode
is returned as test
when the method is operating in the free test mode.
Example XML Response
<?xml version="1.0"?> <company_name_check_res> <mode>normal</mode> <t2a_version_number>1.0.0</t2a_version_number> <status>ok</status> <chargeable>true</chargeable> <input_name>simunix international</input_name> <company_short_list> <company_short> <name>Simunix Limited</name> <company_number>03684982</company_number> <data_set>LIVE</data_set> </company_short> </company_short_list> </company_name_check_res>
Example JSON Response
{ "input_name":"simunix international", "company_short_list":[ { "name":"Simunix Limited", "company_number":"03684982", "data_set":"LIVE" } ], "mode":"normal", "t2a_version_number":"1.0.0", "status":"ok", "chargeable":"true" }