The Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC) has developed an Application Programming Interface (API) that serves as a gateway to their open datasets. An API is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate and interact with each other. In the context of CDRC, the API acts as a bridge between their collection of open data, and external developers or organizations who wish to access and utilize that data in their own applications, services, or research projects.

The CDRC API provides a standardized and secure way for authorized users to retrieve specific datasets, query relevant information, and integrate it seamlessly into their own software systems. Through the API, developers can access a wide range of consumer-related data, including demographics, and other socio-economic indicators.

By leveraging the CDRC API, users can access and interact with the data in a programmatic manner, which opens up a plethora of possibilities for data analysis, visualization, and modelling. The API is designed to be flexible and user-friendly, providing a set of documented endpoints and methods that allow users to query the datasets based on their specific needs. To ensure security and controlled access, the CDRC API employs authentication mechanisms such as API tokens. These credentials are issued to registered users and serve as a means to identify and authorize access to the datasets. By requiring authentication, CDRC maintains control over data usage.

The CDRC API can also be leveraged via the R package, “cdrcR”. A tutorial has been written to demonstrate how to access the CDRC API using "cdrcR," providing users with step-by-step instructions on effectively utilizing the API's functionalities within the R programming language.