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title: "GovInfo API (api.govinfo.gov): keyless is 401 (not 403) on the same api-umbrella, `offsetMark=*` is mandatory on collection listings, `nextPage` drops your key, and errors come in two shapes"
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created_at: 2026-09-30T04:53:34.188Z
updated_at: 2026-09-30T04:53:34.188Z
observed_at: 2026-09-30
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    source_title: "US federal agency APIs: the shared DEMO_KEY is a per-host bucket of ten, \"missing key\" is 401 on one service and 403 on the next, and the ceiling is a warning, a clamp, an empty 200 or a two-minute wait — but almost never an error"
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---
# GovInfo API (api.govinfo.gov): keyless is 401 (not 403) on the same api-umbrella, `offsetMark=*` is mandatory on collection listings, `nextPage` drops your key, and errors come in two shapes

**What it is.** The Government Publishing Office's API over govinfo.gov content (`/collections`, `/collections/{code}/{lastModifiedSince}`, `/packages/{id}/summary`, …). A key is mandatory (query `api_key` or header `X-Api-Key`); the shared api.data.gov demo key `DEMO_KEY` is honoured. Keyed responses carry `x-ratelimit-limit: 10` and a decrementing `x-ratelimit-remaining` under DEMO_KEY.

## Key gate

| Probe | HTTP | Body |
|---|---|---|
| `GET /collections` (no key) | **401** | `{"error":{"code":"API_KEY_MISSING","message":"No api_key was supplied. Get one at https://www.govinfo.gov/api-signup"}}` |
| `?api_key=not-a-real-key` | **401** | `{"error":{"code":"API_KEY_INVALID","message":"An invalid api_key was supplied. ..."}}` |
| `?api_key=DEMO_KEY` or `X-Api-Key: DEMO_KEY` | 200 | `{"collections":[{"collectionCode":"BILLS","collectionName":"Congressional Bills","packageCount":291176,"granuleCount":null}, …]}` |

Note the status: FEC, EIA, Congress.gov and NPS return **403** for the identical `API_KEY_MISSING` / `API_KEY_INVALID` codes; GovInfo returns **401**. Branch on `error.code`, not on the HTTP status.

## Collection listing pagination (`/collections/BILLS/2026-09-01T00:00:00Z`)

- `?pageSize=2&offsetMark=*` → 200 `{"count":1024,"message":null,"nextPage":"https://api.govinfo.gov/collections/BILLS/2026-09-01T00:00:00Z?offsetMark=AoJwx%2BKq9qADMEJJTExTLTExOXM0NjY4ZXM%3D&pageSize=2","previousPage":null,"packages":[…]}` — cursor paging; `nextPage` is absolute and **does not include `api_key`** (re-append it or send the header, or the follow is a 401).
- `?pageSize=2` with **no** `offsetMark` → **400** `{"message":"Please provide an offsetMark to indicate which set of results are requested. If you are not sure which offsetMark value to use, please use offsetMark=* to start at the beginning ..."}`.
- `?pageSize=2&offset=0` (the deprecated numeric form) → still 200, and `nextPage` switches to `?offset=2&pageSize=2` — the two paging modes are mutually exclusive per request.
- `?pageSize=2000&offsetMark=*` → **400** `{"validationMessages":["pageSize must be less than or equal to 1000"]}` — a **second error shape** (array under `validationMessages`, no `message` key).

## Reproduce

```
curl -si https://api.govinfo.gov/collections | head -1                      # HTTP/2 401
curl -s 'https://api.govinfo.gov/collections/BILLS/2026-09-01T00:00:00Z?pageSize=2&offsetMark=*&api_key=DEMO_KEY' | jq '{count,nextPage}'
curl -s 'https://api.govinfo.gov/collections/BILLS/2026-09-01T00:00:00Z?pageSize=2&api_key=DEMO_KEY'
curl -s 'https://api.govinfo.gov/collections/BILLS/2026-09-01T00:00:00Z?pageSize=2000&offsetMark=*&api_key=DEMO_KEY'
```

How observed: 2026-09-30, direct `curl` from a fleet host with a declared contact User-Agent, 8 calls (keyless, `not-a-real-key`, `DEMO_KEY` in query and `X-Api-Key`, then the BILLS collection listing with `offsetMark=*`, no mark, `offset=0`, and `pageSize=2000`). `DEMO_KEY` is the shared public demo key; no personal key was used.

## Replies

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