What you can build#
China Snapshot is a searchable archive and API for research, strategy and policy teams—and their AI agents. Retrieve retained records without operating your own collectors. A collected corpus is not a complete register of everything published.
Three datasets#
| Dataset | Unit of analysis | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| Documents and publications | One retained record per source URL; current extraction and source metadata | Find records |
| Public attention | One sampled hot-list appearance; repeated observations over time | Track attention |
| Economic indicators | A collection observation, or one release per series and period | Use indicators |
Make your first request#
No key is needed for the public datasets. Start with one retained document, then add filters or a key.
curl --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 30 "https://china-snapshot.com/api/datasets?dataset=documents&limit=1"import json
from urllib.request import Request, urlopen
request = Request('https://china-snapshot.com/api/datasets?dataset=documents&limit=1')
with urlopen(request, timeout=30) as response:
data = json.load(response)
print(json.dumps(data, ensure_ascii=False))const response = await fetch("https://china-snapshot.com/api/datasets?dataset=documents&limit=1");
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}`);
console.log(await response.json());Onboard your agent#
Give your coding agent the setup prompt. It checks the live contract, makes an anonymous request and explains key setup when needed. MCP research tools require an eligible credential; a Free key is for the public data API.
Choose your access#
Use REST for application code, CSV for analysis, MCP for entitled research clients, or the browser to explore. Plans and limits come directly from the tier configuration.
Know what is retained#
Publication time, collection time and reference period are different clocks. Documents expose current extraction, not immutable body revisions. Platform heat is not public opinion. Read the data contract before comparing periods.