Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.topograph.co/llms.txt
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Table of Contents
- Data Sources
- Company Identifiers
- Search Capabilities
- Quirks & Gotchas
- Mappings
- Data Availability
- Example API Responses
Data Sources
Guernsey uses a single official registry for all entity types. Data comes from the Guernsey Registry — there is no cross-registry merging.Commercial companies, partnerships & foundations
- Guernsey Registry — Operated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC) under the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008. The Registry Portal at
portal.guernseyregistry.comprovides a public API covering companies (Non-Cellular, Protected Cell, Incorporated Cell), Limited Partnerships, Limited Liability Partnerships, and Foundations. This is the sole source for all structured entity data: company name, legal form, status, incorporation date, registered address, economic activity, directors, and other officials.
Charities & non-profits
- Guernsey Registry — Charities and Non-Profit Organisations are registered through the same Registry Portal under the Charities and Non Profit Organisations (Registration) (Guernsey) Law, 2008. The API exposes the same endpoints for these entity types, including officer data (Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary) and available documents.
All Guernsey Registry data is publicly available without authentication. The API has a rate limit of 60 requests per minute.
How does the data flow work?
How does the data flow work?
For each company profile request, the system aggregates data from five Guernsey Registry API endpoints in parallel:
- Public Search — Basic company data (name, status, entity type, registration number)
- Entity Details — Registered address, registration date, contact info
- Extended Details — Economic activity code and classification
- Events — Filing history (used to extract incorporation date)
- Name History — Previous/former names
- Relationships — Directors, Resident Agents, General Partners, Councillors, etc.
Company Identifiers
Query Identifiers
Guernsey entities are identified using a registration number prefixed by the entity type:| Prefix | Entity Type | Format | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CMP | Company (Non-Cellular, PCC, ICC) | CMP + digits | CMP10001 | Most common entity type |
FND | Foundation | FND + digits | FND167 | Guernsey Foundations Law, 2012 |
LLP | Limited Liability Partnership | LLP + digits | LLP149 | Guernsey LLP Law, 2013 |
LP | Limited Partnership | LP + digits | LP2075 | Includes variants with/without legal personality |
CH | Charity | CH + digits | CH12 | International and domestic charities |
NP | Non-Profit Organisation | NP + digits | NP2 | Domestic NPOs |
Identifiers in API Response
| Identifier Type | Format | Example | Found In |
|---|---|---|---|
registrationNumber | Prefix + digits | CMP10001 | All entity types |
Guernsey entities do not have VAT numbers, SIREN equivalents, or other secondary identifiers. The registration number is the only public identifier.
Search Capabilities
| Search Type | Pattern | Example | Match Type | Expected Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| By Registration Number | Prefix + digits | CMP10001 | Exact | Single entity (1 result) |
| By Name | Text string | "Barron International" | Fuzzy | Multiple results across all entity types |
| By Partial Name | Text string | "Clay Target" | Fuzzy | Multiple results |
Search uses live Registry API lookups. Both name and identifier searches query the Guernsey Registry’s public-search endpoint in real time. Name searches accept free text with a minimum of 2 characters and a maximum of 100 characters.
Quirks & Gotchas
| Quirk | Details |
|---|---|
| Prefixed registration numbers | Registration numbers always include a prefix (CMP, FND, LLP, LP, CH, NP). Using just the numeric part will fail. |
| No shareholders or UBO data | Shareholder and Ultimate Beneficial Owner data is private in Guernsey and is not available through the public register. |
| Corporate directors are common | Many Guernsey companies use corporate directors (trust companies acting as directors). The system uses name pattern heuristics (suffixes like “Limited”, “Ltd”, “LLP”) to distinguish corporate from individual directors. |
| Compound surname handling | Guernsey has significant French/Norman influence, so compound surnames (Le Gallez, De Carteret, Du Feu) are common and parsed with special prefix detection for Le, De, Du, Van, etc. |
| Resident Agent on all entity types | Almost all Guernsey entities have a Resident Agent (typically a licensed trust company), mapped as an Other Key Person. |
| GFSC activity codes are non-standard | Guernsey uses its own dotted-numeric classification (e.g., 10.5.7), not SIC or NACE. NACE and ISIC are always AI-inferred from the description text. |
| ”NA” activity means no classification | Some entities have NA as their economic activity, meaning no specific activity has been assigned. No activity codes are returned for these entities. |
| Charity/NPO statements are free | Trade Register Extracts for charities (CH) and non-profits (NP) are free, while commercial entity types (CMP, LP, LLP, FND) cost approximately GBP 15. |
| Uncertain relationship types need AI | The “Other Managing Official” role (type ID 123) is ambiguous and requires AI analysis to classify as legal representative or other key person. For charities/NPOs, these are typically trustees with collective signing authority. |
| ~20 distinct entity statuses | Guernsey has numerous status values including multiple dissolved variants (voluntary liquidation, registrar strike off, compulsory liquidation, voluntary strike off, wound up, etc.). All are AI-enriched to standardized statuses. |
| Dissolved companies lack officials | Dissolved companies often return empty arrays for the relationships/officials endpoint. |
| Automated document purchase | Paid documents require an automated purchase flow (login, MFA, cart, checkout, 3DS verification) before download. This adds significant latency (up to 20 minutes). |
| Rate limit: 60 requests/minute | The Guernsey Registry API enforces a rate limit of 60 requests per minute (X-Rate-Limit-Limit: 1m). |
| No financial statements | Guernsey companies do not file financial statements publicly. “Annual Validation” and “Annual Return” documents are compliance filings, not financial statements. |
Mappings
Company Status
Company status is extracted from the Guernsey Registry’sentityStatusDesc field. The active flag is determined deterministically from a known list of active statuses. The standardized status (statusDetails) is AI-enriched.
Active Statuses
| Local Status | Standardized Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Active | Standard operating status for companies, partnerships, foundations |
| Registered | Active | Standard status for charities and NPOs |
| Current | Active | Used for trademarks and patents |
At-Risk Statuses
| Local Status | Standardized Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| In Default | Under Insolvency Proceeding | Entity has failed to meet filing obligations or is in financial distress |
| Strike Off Listed | Under Insolvency Proceeding | Entity has been listed for strike-off by the Registrar |
| Voluntary strike off application | Under Insolvency Proceeding | Entity has applied for voluntary strike-off |
Winding Up Statuses
| Local Status | Standardized Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Voluntary winding up Part 1 (liquidator appointed) | Under Insolvency Proceeding | Voluntary dissolution in progress, liquidator appointed |
| Voluntary winding up Part 2 (liquidator final meeting) | Under Insolvency Proceeding | Final stage of voluntary winding up |
| Compulsory winding up Part 1 (liquidator appointed) | Under Insolvency Proceeding | Court-ordered winding up, liquidator appointed |
| Compulsorily Wound Up | Closed | Company wound up by court order |
| Wound Up | Closed | Company has completed winding up process |
Inactive / Closed Statuses
| Local Status | Standardized Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ceased | Closed | Entity has ceased operations |
| Converted | Closed | Entity converted to another form |
| Amalgamated | Closed | Entity merged with another entity |
| Migrated | Closed | Entity migrated to another jurisdiction |
| Struck Off | Closed | Entity removed from the register |
| Expired | Closed | Used for trademarks/patents that have expired |
| Historic | Closed | Used for trademarks/patents no longer current |
Dissolved Statuses
| Local Status | Standardized Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dissolved | Closed | Generic dissolved status |
| Dissolved (voluntary liquidation) | Closed | Dissolved after voluntary liquidation |
| Dissolved (voluntary strike off) | Closed | Dissolved after voluntary strike off |
| Dissolved (registrar compulsory strike off) | Closed | Dissolved by Registrar compulsory action |
| Dissolved (compulsory liquidation) | Closed | Dissolved after compulsory (court-ordered) liquidation |
| Dissolved (wound up) | Closed | Dissolved after winding up process |
Legal Forms
Guernsey uses entity type IDs from the Registry API. The local legal form name is preserved from the Registry, and ISO 20275 (ELF) codes are AI-enriched when not deterministically mapped.Companies
| Local Name | English Translation | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non Cellular Company | Non-Cellular Company | Other | 4C0J |
| Protected Cell Company (PCC) | Protected Cell Company | Corporation | AI-enriched |
| Incorporated Cell Company (ICC) | Incorporated Cell Company | Corporation | AI-enriched |
| Incorporated Cell | Incorporated Cell | Corporation | AI-enriched |
Partnerships
| Local Name | English Translation | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited Partnership | Limited Partnership | Partnership | AI-enriched |
| Limited Partnership (no separate legal personality) | Limited Partnership (no separate legal personality) | Partnership | AI-enriched |
| Incorporated Limited Partnership (with separate legal personality) | Incorporated Limited Partnership | Partnership | AI-enriched |
| Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) | Limited Liability Partnership | Partnership | AI-enriched |
Foundations & Non-Profits
| Local Name | English Translation | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Foundation | Nonprofit Organization | 9XFK |
| Non-Profit Organisation (Domestic - compulsorily registered) | Non-Profit Organisation (Domestic - compulsorily registered) | Nonprofit Organization | AI-enriched |
| Non-Profit Organisation (Domestic - voluntarily registered) | Non-Profit Organisation (Domestic - voluntarily registered) | Nonprofit Organization | AI-enriched |
Charities
| Local Name | English Translation | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charity (Domestic - compulsorily registered) | Charity (Domestic - compulsorily registered) | Nonprofit Organization | AI-enriched |
| Charity (Domestic - voluntarily registered) | Charity (Domestic - voluntarily registered) | Nonprofit Organization | AI-enriched |
| Charity (International - compulsorily registered) | Charity (International - compulsorily registered) | Nonprofit Organization | AI-enriched |
| Charity (Branch of British registered organisation) | Charity (Branch of British registered organisation) | Nonprofit Organization | AI-enriched |
Other Entity Types (not company profiles)
| Local Name | English Translation | Standardized | ISO 20275 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trademark (Word only) | Trademark (Word only) | — | — |
| Trademark (Stylised word) | Trademark (Stylised word) | — | — |
| Trademark (Device and word) | Trademark (Device and word) | — | — |
| Patent | Patent | — | — |
ISO 20275 codes are AI-enriched for most Guernsey legal forms because the Guernsey-specific entity types (Protected Cell Company, Incorporated Cell Company, etc.) do not have standard ELF codes. The local legal form name from the Registry is always preserved verbatim.
Legal Representatives
Legal representatives are extracted from the Guernsey Registry’s relationships endpoint. Classification is deterministic for known relationship types (no AI needed). Both individuals and corporate entities can hold legal representative roles.| Local Role Name | English Translation | Standardized | Entity Types | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Director | Director | Companies, Charities | Can be individual or corporate (mixed) |
| General Partner | General Partner | General Partner | Limited Partnerships | Can be individual or corporate (mixed) |
| Chairperson | Chairperson | Chairman | NPOs, Charities | Always individual |
| Councillor | Councillor | Director | Foundations | Can be individual or corporate; equivalent to director |
| Member | Member | Managing Partner | LLPs | Can be individual or corporate (mixed) |
| Guardian | Guardian | Other | Foundations | Can be individual or corporate; oversight role |
Other Key Persons
| Local Role Name | English Translation | Standardized | Entity Types | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Agent | Resident Agent | Other | All entity types | Typically a licensed trust/fiduciary company; can be individual or corporate |
| Secretary | Secretary | Secretary | Companies | Always individual |
| Treasurer | Treasurer | Other | NPOs, Charities | Always individual |
Uncertain Roles (AI-parsed): The “Other Managing Official” role (relationship type ID 123, always individual) is ambiguous. For charities/NPOs, these are typically trustees with collective signing authority and are classified as Legal Representatives by AI. For companies, they are usually classified as Other Key Persons unless they have explicit signing authority.
Structural Relationships (excluded from key persons)
The following relationship types appear in the API but are not mapped to key persons:| Local Role Name | English Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Incorporated Cell | Incorporated Cell | Cells within ICCs — structural relationship |
| Related Guernsey Entity | Related Guernsey Entity | Cross-entity relationships — structural |
Shareholders
Activity Code Mapping
Guernsey uses its own GFSC economic activity classification with dotted numeric codes (e.g.,10.5.7, 02.9.1). These codes do not directly map to European or international standards. NACE and ISIC codes are always AI-inferred from the activity description text.
| Classification | Source | Example | AI Inferred? |
|---|---|---|---|
| GFSC | Guernsey Registry extended details | 10.5.7 | No (official) |
| NACE | AI-inferred from GFSC description | 64.21 | Yes (always) |
| ISIC | AI-inferred from GFSC description | 6420 | Yes (always) |
Some entities have
NA as their economic activity classification, indicating no specific activity has been assigned. In these cases, no activity codes are returned. Both NACE and ISIC codes are always AI-inferred for Guernsey entities — check the isAIInferred flag.Data Availability
Data Availability Matrix
| Data Type | Availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Company Profile | ✅ Async | Name, status, legal form, incorporation date, registered address, previous names |
| Legal Representatives | ✅ Async | Directors, Councillors, Members, General Partners, Chairpersons, Guardians |
| Other Key Persons | ✅ Async | Resident Agents, Secretaries, Treasurers |
| Shareholders | ❌ | Private information — not available through public register |
| Ultimate Beneficial Owners | ❌ | Private information — not available through public register |
| Activity Codes | ✅ | GFSC codes (official); NACE/ISIC (AI-inferred) |
| Establishments | ❌ | Not applicable — Guernsey entities register a single registered office |
| Documents | ✅ Async | Statements of Register, certificates, articles, filings |
Documents by Company Type
| Entity Type | Trade Register Extract | Certificate of Good Standing | Certificate of Incorporation | Articles of Association | Other Filed Documents | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Company (CMP) | Company Statement of Register | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Annual Validations, Resolutions | GBP 15 (Statement) |
Limited Partnership (LP) | LP Statement of Register | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Annual Validations | GBP 15 (Statement) |
LLP (LLP) | LLP Statement of Register | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Governance, Resolutions | GBP 15 (Statement) |
Foundation (FND) | Foundation Statement of Register | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Governance | GBP 15 (Statement) |
Charity (CH) | Charity Statements | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Varies | Free |
Non-Profit (NP) | NPO Statements | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Varies | Free |
Document SKUs:
GGY_TRADE_REGISTER_EXTRACT— Paid Statement of Register for commercial entities (CMP, LP, LLP, FND)GGY_TRADE_REGISTER_EXTRACT_CHARITY_NONPROFIT— Free Statement for charities/NPOsGGY_CERTIFICATE_OF_GOOD_STANDING— Certificate of Good Standing (active entities only)GGY_CERTIFICATE_OF_INCORPORATION— Historical certificate of incorporationGGY_ARTICLE_OF_ASSOCIATION— Articles/Memorandum of AssociationGGY_FILED_DOCUMENT— All other filed documents (Annual Validations, Resolutions, etc.)
Example API Responses
All examples use placeholder data. Query:POST /v2/company with { "id": "<id>", "countryCode": "GG", "dataPoints": ["company", "legalRepresentatives"] }
Active Non-Cellular Company with Corporate Directors (CMP)
Active Non-Cellular Company with Corporate Directors (CMP)
Dissolved Company with Previous Names (CMP)
Dissolved Company with Previous Names (CMP)
legacyLegalNames when previous names exist. Officials data is typically empty for dissolved entities.Foundation with Councillors and Guardian (FND)
Foundation with Councillors and Guardian (FND)
Non-Profit Organisation with Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary (NP)
Non-Profit Organisation with Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary (NP)
Charity with Corporate Director (CH)
Charity with Corporate Director (CH)
Available Documents (Company example)
Available Documents (Company example)
Documents are returned when
Charities and Non-Profits (CH, NP):
"dataPoints": ["availableDocuments"] is requested.Commercial entities (CMP, LP, LLP, FND):| API Category | Document | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
tradeRegisterExtract | Statement of Register | GBP 15 | Current company details, officers, address |
certificateOfGoodStanding | Certificate of Good Standing | GBP 15 | Active entities only |
certificateOfIncorporation | Incorporation Certificate | Free | Historical document |
articlesOfAssociation[] | Articles/Memorandum of Association | Free | Constitutional documents |
otherDocuments[] | Annual Validations, Resolutions, etc. | Free | Historical filed documents |
| API Category | Document | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
tradeRegisterExtract | Charity/NPO Statement | Free | Registration statement |
otherDocuments[] | Filed documents | Free | Varies by entity |