Metadata Section

Every SPAR API response includes a metaData section that provides important information about the API call. This metadata is useful for troubleshooting, logging, and auditing.

MetaData Fields

The metaData section includes the following fields:

Field	Type	Description
apiLogId	String	A unique identifier for the Creditsafe API log. Please refer to this ID when contacting Creditsafe support, as it allows them to access the full context of your request
timeStamp	String (DateTime)	The exact time when the request was processed by Creditsafe
resource	String	Indicates which service delivered the report
method	String	Specifies the HTTP method used for the request
requestUrl	String	The complete URL of the request sent to Creditsafe

Example MetaData Response

{
  "metaData": {
    "apiLogId": "abc123de-4567-89fg-0123-hij456klm789",
    "timeStamp": "2025-09-15T13:27:14.3794136Z",
    "resource": "SPAR Consumer (1231)",
    "method": "GET",
    "requestUrl": "https://se-webservice.apps.creditsafe.com/spar?searchnumber=199901011234&relation=true"
  }
}

When MetaData is Included

This metadata is included in the response for both successful and error responses, as long as the request was handled by the Creditsafe service.

Using MetaData for Support

Troubleshooting with apiLogId

When contacting Creditsafe support about a specific request, always include the apiLogId from the metaData section. This unique identifier allows the support team to quickly locate and review the full context of your request, significantly speeding up the troubleshooting process.

Service Identification

The resource field in the metaData identifies which SPAR service was used:

SPAR Consumer (1231) - Standard SPAR consumer search service

This can be helpful when troubleshooting issues or when reviewing API log entries.

Using the transactionid Parameter

While not part of the response metadata, you can include your own reference identifier using the optional transactionid query parameter:

GET /spar?searchnumber=199901011234&transactionid=INV-12345

Correlation Best Practice

Use transactionid with your own internal reference (for example, customer ID, invoice number, or ticket number). This makes it easier to correlate API calls with your business processes and support investigations.

The transactionid is logged by Creditsafe and can be used to search for specific requests, but it is not returned in the response metadata.