Dev Socrata Socrata Open Data API (SODA)
63
AI ReadinessAI-Aware (B)63/100
Agent-ready OpenAPI document · curated by JenticAnalyticsBusiness IntelligenceapiKey, basic, oauth27 EndpointsREST
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For Agents
Discover and query open government datasets across Socrata-powered portals via 7 SODA endpoints with SoQL filtering, aggregation, and GeoJSON or CSV export.
Use for: Search the Socrata catalog for datasets about traffic crashes, Run a SoQL query that aggregates 311 calls by borough, Export the latest rows of a dataset to CSV, Get the GeoJSON for a city's bike lanes dataset
Not supported: Does not write to or publish new datasets, manage Socrata portal admin, or model proprietary data - use for querying, exporting, and discovering open datasets on Socrata-powered portals only.
Jentic publishes the only available OpenAPI specification for the Socrata Open Data API (SODA), keeping it validated and agent-ready. SODA exposes the open government datasets hosted on Socrata-powered portals, with per-portal domains like data.cityofnewyork.us and data.ct.gov. The seven endpoints support SoQL queries, CSV and GeoJSON exports, dataset metadata lookups, and a catalog discovery endpoint, so an agent can find a dataset, inspect its schema, and pull filtered or aggregated rows without scraping HTML. Authentication ranges from anonymous reads to app-token, basic, and OAuth 2.0 for write operations and private datasets.
Install Jentic One Beta
Connect the Socrata Open Data API (SODA) to your agent
Jentic One is a self-hosted execution layer for AI agents. It lets your agent call the Socrata Open Data API (SODA), or any other public or private API you need. You set the rules, the agent never sees your credentials, and every call is logged.
Two steps, two machines. Install the instance in a safe environment, then register your agent from wherever it runs.
1
Step 1: Jentic One Host machine
# On the machine that will host your Jentic One instance:
curl -fsSL "https://jentic.com/install.sh?src=apis&api=%2Fapis%2Fdev.socrata.com%2Fsocrata" | sh2
Step 2: Agent machine
# On the machine where your agent runs (keep this separate from the instance):
curl -fsSL "https://jentic.com/install.sh?src=apis&api=%2Fapis%2Fdev.socrata.com%2Fsocrata" | sh
jentic register # connects your agent to your Jentic One instanceJentic One is in public beta. The setup above keeps your agent separate from the instance, which is what you want before using real credentials: an agent running as the same OS user as Jentic One can read its stored keys directly. Just evaluating? A single local install is fine to start. See the secure deployment guide for the tiers.
Capabilities
What an agent can do with Socrata Open Data API (SODA) API.
Discover datasets across portals via GET /api/catalog/v1 with keyword and category filters
Run SoQL filters and aggregations via GET or POST /api/v3/views/{datasetId}/query.json
Export query results as CSV via GET /api/v3/views/{datasetId}/export.csv
Retrieve full dataset rows in JSON or GeoJSON via /resource/{datasetId}.json and /resource/{datasetId}.geojson
Pull dataset metadata, schema, and update timestamps via GET /api/views/metadata/v1/{datasetId}
Authenticate with an X-App-Token header for higher rate limits or with basic auth and OAuth 2.0 for private datasets and write operations
Use Cases
Patterns agents use Socrata Open Data API (SODA) API for, with concrete tasks.
★ Open data exploration and reporting
Analysts and AI agents can find a relevant open dataset on any Socrata-powered portal by hitting GET /api/catalog/v1, then read its schema via /api/views/metadata/v1/{datasetId} and run a SoQL query through /api/v3/views/{datasetId}/query.json to get exactly the slice they need. Because the same shape works across hundreds of city, state, and federal portals, one pipeline covers many sources.
GET /api/catalog/v1?q=motor%20vehicle%20crashes on data.cityofnewyork.us, pick the top dataset, then POST /api/v3/views/{datasetId}/query.json with a SoQL aggregating crashes by borough.
Civic dashboards and embedded maps
Build civic dashboards by pulling fresh data from /resource/{datasetId}.json for tabular views and /resource/{datasetId}.geojson for map layers. The metadata endpoint exposes the dataset's last-updated timestamp, so a dashboard can show data freshness without scraping. This is the standard way municipalities expose machine-readable open data, so the same code reuses across cities.
GET /resource/erm2-nwe9.geojson?$where=created_date>'2026-01-01' to fetch recent 311 service requests for a city map layer.
Bulk data export to a warehouse
Pull entire datasets or filtered subsets to CSV via GET /api/v3/views/{datasetId}/export.csv for loading into a data warehouse or notebook. SoQL parameters let you constrain the export to recent rows or specific columns, keeping the payload small. Because the URL is stable, the same export can be scheduled and re-run incrementally.
GET /api/v3/views/abcd-1234/export.csv?$where=updated_at>'2026-06-01'&$limit=50000 to incrementally export new rows into a warehouse.
Agent-driven civic insight
An AI agent answering questions like 'how many 311 noise complaints were filed in Brooklyn last month?' can call SODA through Jentic. Jentic resolves the dataset, returns the SoQL query operation schema, and executes it with the agent's filter - no API key juggling, no scraping, just a structured answer pulled from the canonical open data portal.
Through Jentic, search 'query a Socrata dataset', load the SODA query.json operation, and execute with $select=count(*) and a $where clause for borough and date range.
Key Endpoints
7 endpoints — jentic publishes the only available openapi specification for the socrata open data api (soda), keeping it validated and agent-ready.
METHOD
PATH
DESCRIPTION
GET
/api/catalog/v1
Discover datasets on a Socrata portal
GET
/api/v3/views/{datasetId}/query.json
Run a SoQL query (read)
POST
/api/v3/views/{datasetId}/query.json
Run a SoQL query with a JSON body for complex queries
GET
/api/v3/views/{datasetId}/export.csv
Export query results as CSV
GET
/resource/{datasetId}.json
Read dataset rows as JSON
GET
/resource/{datasetId}.geojson
Read dataset rows as GeoJSON
GET
/api/views/metadata/v1/{datasetId}
Read dataset metadata and schema
GET
/api/catalog/v1
Discover datasets on a Socrata portal
GET
/api/v3/views/{datasetId}/query.json
Run a SoQL query (read)
POST
/api/v3/views/{datasetId}/query.json
Run a SoQL query with a JSON body for complex queries
GET
/api/v3/views/{datasetId}/export.csv
Export query results as CSV
GET
/resource/{datasetId}.json
Read dataset rows as JSON
GET
/resource/{datasetId}.geojson
Read dataset rows as GeoJSON
GET
/api/views/metadata/v1/{datasetId}
Read dataset metadata and schema
Jentic AI Readiness Score
This API is usable in Jentic One now. Its AI-readiness score against Jentic's framework shows where it stands today and where improvements would make it even easier for agents to use.
S
Socrata Open Data API (SODA)
- AI-Aware (B)63/100
64
Foundational Compliance62
Developer Experience & Jentic Compatibility49
AI-Readiness & Agent Experience94
Agent Usability50
Security100
AI DiscoverabilityPowered by JenticScoring Framework 1.0.0 | Scoring Engine 0.4.0
Show dimension breakdown
64
Foundational Compliance
Base layer of spec validity and structural soundness.
Grade: BSignals: 4
95%
Lint Results
Aggregated quality score from linter diagnostics, weighted by severity.
100%
Resolution Completeness
Percentage of `$ref` references that resolve successfully.
0%
Specification Validity
Checks whether the API description parses successfully and conforms to its declared specification (e.g., OpenAPI).
60%
Structural Integrity
Structural correctness score based on schema issues using logarithmic dampening.
62
Developer Experience & Jentic Compatibility
Clarity, completeness, and ingestion readiness for developers and tooling.
Grade: B-Signals: 4
0%
Example Density
How richly the API is illustrated with examples.
100%
Example Validity
Percentage of examples that conform to their schemas.
61%
Response Coverage
Percentage of operations with complete response definitions (success, client error, server error).
87%
Tooling Readiness
Health of API ingestion, bundling, and resolution within Jentic pipelines.
49
AI-Readiness & Agent Experience
Semantic breadth, depth, and agent comprehension for AI systems.
Grade: D+Signals: 4
42%
Description Coverage
Coverage of descriptions across API elements.
0%
Error Standardization
Coverage of RFC 9457 Problem Details for error responses.
100%
OperationId Quality
Coverage, uniqueness, and casing consistency of operationIds for AI inference.
54%
Summary Coverage
Coverage of summaries across operations/tags/info.
94
Agent Usability
Functional utility, complexity comfort, and AI orchestration readiness.
Grade: A+Signals: 1
94%
Complexity Comfort
Agent comfort level based on API operational and structural complexity.
50
Security
Trust, risk posture, and security compliance.
Grade: C-Signals: 1
50%
Authentication Strength
Average quality of security schemes based on authentication method strength (weakest link for OAuth2).
100
AI Discoverability
Findability, semantic richness, and reasoning readiness.
Grade: A+Signals: 1
100%
Descriptive Richness
Clarity and depth of descriptions across API elements.
Score it yourself
Every API in the directory is allowlisted, so you can re-score it with no key required.
npx @jentic/api-scorecard-cli score <openapi-url>Why Jentic?
What agents get from Jentic-routed access to this vendor.
Setup
Wiring the Socrata Open Data API by hand means choosing between its app token, basic, and OAuth 2.0 auth, pointing calls at the right portal domain (https://{domain}), and building the catalog, SoQL query, export, and metadata calls yourself. Through Jentic you install once, import the Socrata Open Data API from the API Directory, store the app token once, and your agent calls it.
Permission scoping
Socrata puts the dataset id in the URL path (/api/v3/views/{datasetId}/query.json), and the operations here are read-only queries, exports, and metadata reads, so a rule can pin your agent to querying and exporting datasets with no ability to publish or administer the portal.
Credential isolation
Your Socrata app token, basic credentials, or OAuth token is stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected at execution time. It never enters the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
Intent-based discovery
Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'query open data on traffic crashes' or 'export a dataset as CSV', and Jentic returns the matching SODA operation with its dataset and SoQL parameter shapes so the agent calls the right endpoint without reading the docs.
Related APIs
Alternatives and complements available in the Jentic catalogue.
FAQs
Specific to using Socrata Open Data API (SODA) API through Jentic.
Why is there no official OpenAPI spec for the Socrata Open Data API?
Socrata does not publish an OpenAPI specification for SODA. Jentic generates and maintains this spec so that AI agents and developers can call SODA via structured tooling. It is validated against live Socrata portals and kept up to date. Get started with Jentic One, the self-hosted execution layer.
What authentication does the Socrata SODA API use?
Public dataset reads are anonymous, but for higher rate limits Socrata expects an X-App-Token header issued from your Socrata profile. Write operations and private datasets require HTTP basic auth, and third-party apps can use OAuth 2.0 against the portal's /oauth/authorize and /oauth/access_token endpoints. Through Jentic, app tokens and OAuth tokens are vaulted and attached at request time.
Can I run a SoQL aggregation query with the Socrata API?
Yes. POST /api/v3/views/{datasetId}/query.json with a SoQL body using $select with count, sum, or avg and $group to aggregate, plus $where for filters. Use the GET form for simpler queries that fit in a URL. The same dataset can also be queried via /resource/{datasetId}.json with $select, $where, and $group parameters.
How do I find datasets on a specific Socrata portal?
Call GET /api/catalog/v1 against the portal's domain (e.g., data.cityofnewyork.us). Pass q for keywords, categories for category filters, and tags for tag filters. The response includes dataset ids you can plug into /api/v3/views/{datasetId}/query.json or /resource/{datasetId}.json.
What are the rate limits for the Socrata SODA API?
Anonymous requests share a low per-IP throttle. Sending an X-App-Token gives an application-scoped quota that is sufficient for most production use. Treat HTTP 429 as a signal to back off and consider registering an app token if you have not already.
How do I export a dataset to CSV through Jentic?
Through Jentic, search 'export a Socrata dataset to CSV', load the /api/v3/views/{datasetId}/export.csv operation, and execute it with the dataset id and any SoQL filter parameters. Stream the response into your warehouse loader.
Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the Socrata Open Data API?
Yes. Because you run Jentic One yourself, your own rules decide which SODA operations and credentials the agent may use, and every operation here is read-only: catalog discovery via GET /api/catalog/v1, SoQL queries via /api/v3/views/{datasetId}/query.json, CSV exports via export.csv, resource reads, and metadata lookups. Since the dataset id lives in the URL path, you can pin the agent to querying, exporting, and inspecting specific datasets with no ability to publish data or administer the portal. Your Socrata app token, basic, or OAuth credentials are attached only at execution time and never reach the agent's prompt or logs.
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