M
API Matrix

Open Government, ACT API

Government / No Auth Required Beginner HTTPS
Free to Use Varies (check documentation)
77 Score
Grade B
Visit Official Site Compare Alternatives

Overview

The Open Government ACT API provides free access to open datasets from the Australian Capital Territory government, covering areas like transport, environment, health, and planning in the Canberra region. No API key is required, making it easy for beginners to start exploring Australian government data. It follows the CKAN open data platform standard, which is used by governments worldwide.

💡

Beginner Tip

The ACT Open Data portal runs on the CKAN platform, so you can use the standard CKAN API at data.act.gov.au/api/3/action/ to search and retrieve datasets programmatically. Try the package_list action first to see all available dataset names.

Available Data

Response fields: act gov au
Open Government, ACT data via REST API
JSON-formatted response data
Freely accessible without authentication

Example Response

JSON Response 
{
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "result": "Data from Open Government, ACT",
    "description": "Australian Capital Territory Open Data",
    "timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:00:00Z"
  }
}

Field Reference

success Indicates whether the API action was executed successfully
result.results Array of dataset (package) objects matching the search query
title Human-readable name of the dataset
resources Array of downloadable resource files associated with the dataset, each with a url and format field
organization.title Name of the ACT government agency that published the dataset

Implementation Example 

const url = "https://www.data.act.gov.au/";
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

success: false in response Invalid action name or missing required parameters for the CKAN action
✓ Check the CKAN API documentation for supported actions and their required parameters; common ones are package_search, package_list, and resource_show
Empty result set Search term does not match any dataset names or descriptions
✓ Try broader terms or use the package_list action to browse all available datasets by name
Resource download URL returns 404 Some dataset file resources may have been moved or removed by the publisher
✓ Use the resource_show action with the resource id to get the latest URL before attempting to download

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 10/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 15/20
✓ Reliability 7/15
Response Time 715ms

Fully tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth No Auth
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS UNKNOWN
Category Government
Difficulty Beginner
Verified: 2026-04-04

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