Sanctions and AML Screening API

A RESTful API for real-time and batch screening against global sanctions, PEP, criminal watchlists and adverse media. Around 350 ms per call, documented for developers and auditable for compliance teams.

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~350 ms
Avg API response
Hourly
Data updates
400+
Customers
SOC 2
Type II compliant
Request Waiting 

      

      

        

        

          sanctions.io
          
          0 ms
        

        

      

      

        

          
          Response
          Waiting
        

        

      

      
Illustrative example only. Not a live API call.

    

  






  
Single Search or Batch Search

  
Two ways to call the same screening engine, with the same data, the same matching and the same response format.

  

    

      Real time
      
Single search

      
One name per request, with a result in around 350 ms. Built to sit inside onboarding and transaction flows, so the check happens before the account opens or the payment goes out.

      
Inline in signup, onboarding and payment flows
Up to 300 requests per minute across all endpoints
Individuals and organizations

      
POST /search  → 1 name · ~350 ms

    

    

      Bulk
      
Batch search

      
Submit up to 10,000 records in a single request for bulk operations: screening an existing customer base, a vendor master, or a periodic review of everyone you do business with.

      
Up to 10,000 records per request
Concurrent processing of high-volume batches
Results delivered by webhook when ready

      
POST /batch  → up to 10,000 records · webhook

    

  






  
Plan Your Integration

  
Tell us where screening runs and how much volume you handle. Get the right mix of single search, batch search and monitoring, a check against the rate limit, estimated monthly calls and starter code, then download it as a plan.

  

    

      
1Where does screening run?
Select every use case. They combine.

      
2New customers or third parties per month

      
3Transactions per month

      
4Existing records to keep screened

      
5Peak requests per minute
Your busiest minute. If you are not sure, the planner also estimates it from your volumes and uses the higher figure.

    

    

      

      

        

          

          
        

        

        

      

    

  

  

    

    

      
      Start Free Trial
      Walk Through This With Us
    

    
Estimates and code samples are illustrative examples only. The API reference has the exact endpoints and parameters.

  






  
Continuous Monitoring With the Monitoring API

  
A check at onboarding is only accurate on the day it runs. The Monitoring API keeps it current: add an entity once, and it is screened again every time the lists change.

  

    
1
Add entities once
Register customers, vendors or counterparties in a monitoring list at onboarding. No scheduled jobs to build or maintain.

    
2
Re-screened as lists change
Lists update every 60 minutes. Every monitored entity is checked again against the new data, automatically.

    
3
Alerted on new matches
When a new match or an update to an existing one appears, you receive an alert, with the result recorded for your audit trail.

  

  

    Monitoring APIIncluded in the free trial
    Read the Monitoring API reference 
  






  
AI and NLP Powered Name Matching

  
Matching built on natural language processing and machine learning, so the variants that defeat a string comparison still match, and the names that only look alike stop generating false positives.

  

    Transliteration, nicknames, spelling errors and honorifics
    Fewer false positives
    No real match slipping through
  

  

    

    

  






  
Watchlist Coverage

  
Four data sets, screened together in one search. Hover over a card to see what it covers.

  

    

      

        

        
Sanctions Lists

        
For example OFAC, UN, EU and UK HMT/OFSI, plus regional lists across 30+ jurisdictions, refreshed every 60 minutes.

      

      Sanctions Lists Coverage 
    

    

      

        

        
PEP Profiles

        
Politically exposed persons worldwide, including their family members and close associates.

      

      PEP Coverage 
    

    

      

        

        
Adverse Media

        
Negative news from 200,000+ sources, tagged by risk category such as financial crime and fraud.

      

      Adverse Media Coverage 
    

    

      

        

        
Criminal Watchlists

        
For example Interpol Red Notices, FBI Most Wanted and other law enforcement watchlists.

      

      Criminal Watchlist Coverage 
    

  








  

    

      
Custom Confidence Scores for Your Risk Appetite

      
Set a separate minimum confidence score for sanctions, PEP and adverse media matches. Each data set carries a different level of risk, so each one can have its own threshold.

      

        
Stricter where it matters
Keep sanctions broad so nothing slips through, and tighten PEP or adverse media to cut the noise.

        
Fewer false positives
A higher score returns fewer, more precise matches, so your team reviews less noise.

        
A threshold you can defend
Record the thresholds you chose and why, so the decision holds up in an audit or examination.

      

      
Book a Call to See How It Works

    

    

      

        

          
          app.sanctions.io · Confidence score settings
        

        

          Screening: Alexander Petrov
           
        

        

      

      
Illustrative example only. Each slider shows the minimum confidence score being adjusted, and which matches it lets through.

    

  







  
Hear From Our Customers

  

    

      
"The product is amazing and the tech is tight. We integrated the sanctions.io API within a couple of days and now perform daily screenings of our entire customer base."

      
Dan Westgarth
COO, Deel Inc.

    

    

      
"Our experience with sanctions.io has been transformative for our compliance processes. Their reliable and comprehensive data feeds give us the peace of mind that comes from operating within international compliance standards."

      
Armand Brunelle
CTO, WeFi Technology Group

    

    

      
"sanctions.io combines robust, reliable and industry leading technology with hands on customer support. We implemented full passenger vetting in a matter of days and have had no issues with the API since inception."

      
Patrick O'Brian
Flight Operations, Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group

    

  

  

    
Trusted by 400+ Organizations Worldwide

    
Customer logoCustomer logoCustomer logoCustomer logoCustomer logoCustomer logoCustomer logoCustomer logoCustomer logoCustomer logoCustomer logo

    

      
400+Customers

      
MillionsDaily Screenings

      
100+Data Sources

      
99.995%Uptime

      
SOC 2Compliant

    

  






  

    

      
Next step

      
Talk Through Your Integration With Us

      
Bring your onboarding or payment flow. We'll map where the API call goes, which lists to screen and where to set your match threshold. No deck.

      

        Book a Discovery Call
        Start Free Trial
        Read the API Docs
      

    

    

      
What happens next

      

        

          
          
A short call
Your flow, your lists, your volume. No discovery deck.

        

        

          
          
A sandbox key the same day
Screen real names against live lists before any contract.

        

        

          
          
Live same-day
Most teams are screening real records on the day they start.

        

      

    

  






  

    

      

      
The practical guide to sanctions screening

      
How screening programs are built, tuned and defended: list selection across OFAC, EU, UN and HMT/OFSI, thresholds you can defend in an examination, false-positive management, and the evidence examiners ask for.

      
    

    

      

      
Implementation guide

      
Step-by-step help implementing sanctions.io into your compliance process and systems, including field catalogs, Postman collections and code snippets in several languages.

      
    

    

      

      
API reference

      
Endpoints, parameters, authentication and versioning for the Screening API and the Monitoring API, with code snippets in more than a dozen languages and a Postman collection.

      
    

  

  





  
The Screening API, Answered

  
The questions developers and compliance teams ask before an integration.

  









Resources
Implementation Guide

  

Our Implementation Guide helps you with implementing sanctions.io into your compliance process and systems.
Sanctions Screening Guide

  

Our Sanctions Screening Guide offers step-by-step instructions to kickstart your sanctions compliance process.
Resource Center

  

Our Resource Center is your ultimate palce for AML and sanctions white papers, guides,  updates, and more.
Sanctions Screening vs Sanctions Monitoring: When to Choose Which
Sanctions screening and monitoring are two distinct yet complementary approaches that form the backbone of an effective sanctions compliance program. Screening involves checking names or transactions against watchlists at key moments (such as onboarding or payment processing) to prevent prohibited activity from occurring. Monitoring, on the other hand, is an ongoing process that tracks customer behavior, ownership changes, and geopolitical developments to identify emerging or indirect sanctions risks. While screening provides immediate frontline protection, monitoring captures threats that evolve over time. The most resilient compliance frameworks combine both practices, supported by clean data, calibrated tools, strong governance, and continuous training. Organizations should align their use of screening and monitoring with their specific risk profile, regulatory obligations, and operational complexity.

Understanding OFAC Sanctions Lists: A Comprehensive Guide
The OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) sanctions lists are essential tools used by the U.S. government to enforce foreign policy and national security objectives by targeting individuals, organisations, and countries involved in activities like terrorism, corruption, or arms proliferation. These lists—such as the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List and various non-SDN lists—restrict access to the U.S. financial system and prohibit transactions with listed entities. While centred in the United States, the global impact of OFAC sanctions means businesses worldwide must remain compliant to avoid severe penalties or reputational damage. With tools like the Sanctions List Search and downloadable datasets, OFAC facilitates screening and compliance efforts, making it crucial for companies to implement regular monitoring, staff training, and legal oversight to mitigate risks.

How Long Is Someone a PEP? Declassification, Family Members, and Where to Draw the Line
A minister leaves office. How long do you keep treating them as a PEP? Their spouse, their business partner, their adult child? FATF, the EU, the UK, and the US all answer this differently, and most firms have never actually compared the four side by side. This post lays out the real positions, the scope question around relatives and close associates, and the governance point that ties it together.

Setting Sanctions and PEP Match Thresholds: Why They Shouldn't Be the Same Number
Most firms set one fuzzy-matching threshold at implementation and apply it to every list they screen, including sanctions and PEP data, without ever revisiting the decision. This post argues that's a configuration accident, not a risk decision, and walks through why sanctions and PEP screening deserve different settings, with worked examples across payments, B2B onboarding, and insurance.

View Resources