Search dataset (sync, Elasticsearch)

Run a real-time, Elasticsearch-powered query against a Bright Data Marketplace dataset. Sub-second responses, up to 1,000 records per call.

The Search endpoint of the Bright Data Marketplace Dataset API runs a real-time, Elasticsearch-powered query against a Marketplace dataset: send a filter, get records back in the response with sub-second latency.

Paste your API key into the authorization field. To get an API key, create an account and learn how to generate an API key.

When should I use Search?

Use Search when you need a small number of records back in a single, low-latency call:

• Real-time lookups, such as enriching a lead the moment it hits the CRM.
• Feeding live records into AI agents or LLM apps.
• Sales prospecting by name, title, company or location.
• Sampling a dataset before buying, with "sort": "random".
• Any workload that needs up to 1,000 records back in one call.

If you need file uploads, bulk exports or a dataset that is not in the supported list, use Filter instead.

Run your first Search query

Send a POST request to /datasets/search/:dataset_id with a filter object. The example below searches the LinkedIn people profiles dataset for records whose name includes Egor:

curl -X POST "https://api.brightdata.com/datasets/search/gd_l1viktl72bvl7bjuj0" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "size": 10,
    "filter": {
      "name": "name",
      "operator": "includes",
      "value": "Egor"
    }
  }'

Search returns the records inline. There is no polling and no snapshot IDs:

{
  "hits": [ /* records */ ],
  "total_hits": 579859,
  "took": 142
}

Which datasets does Search support?

Search is in alpha and currently supports three LinkedIn datasets. For any other dataset, use Filter.

Dataset	dataset_id
LinkedIn people profiles	gd_l1viktl72bvl7bjuj0
LinkedIn people profiles, contact-enriched	gd_me5ppxjr2ge6icjuh0
LinkedIn company information	gd_l1vikfnt1wgvvqz95w

Amazon datasets are next. More datasets are rolling out toward general availability in Q3 2026. Passing an unsupported dataset_id to Search returns a 404.

How do I authenticate?

Search uses Bearer token authentication. Pass your API key in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Get your key from account settings.

What parameters does Search accept?

Name	Type	Default	Required	Description
filter	object	-	yes	Filter expression. Cannot be empty. See the filter syntax reference.
size	number	100	no	Number of records to return. Search is best for up to 1,000 records per call.
sort	string or array	-	no	default, random, or a custom sort such as [{"timestamp":"asc"}].
search_after	array	-	no	Pagination cursor. Pass the search_after value from the previous response.

What does Search return?

Name	Type	Description
hits	array	The matched records.
total_hits	number	Total records matching your filter.
took	number	Server time in milliseconds.
search_after	array	Cursor for the next page. Returned only when sort is set.

How do I sort and paginate?

Set sort to control ordering, and use the returned search_after cursor to page through results.

Sample a dataset with random sort

Use "sort": "random" to pull a representative sample, for example before buying a dataset:

curl -X POST "https://api.brightdata.com/datasets/search/gd_l1viktl72bvl7bjuj0" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "size": 10,
    "sort": "random",
    "filter": { "name": "name", "operator": "includes", "value": "Egor" }
  }'

Page through results with search_after

Set "sort": "default" to get a search_after cursor in the response. Request the first page:

{
  "size": 10,
  "sort": "default",
  "filter": { "name": "name", "operator": "includes", "value": "Egor" }
}

Pass the returned search_after array back to fetch the next page:

{
  "size": 10,
  "sort": "default",
  "search_after": [ /* value from previous response */ ],
  "filter": { "name": "name", "operator": "includes", "value": "Egor" }
}

Sort by a custom field

Pass an array of field-to-direction objects to sort by a specific field:

{ "sort": [{ "timestamp": "asc" }] }

How much does Search cost?

Search costs $2.5 CPM (per 1,000 records returned), the same rate as the Marketplace. There is no charge when the filter returns 0 records.

What errors can Search return?

Status	Meaning	What to do
400	Bad filter or params	Check field names with Get dataset metadata.
401	Bad or missing API key	Check your Bearer token.
402	Not enough funds	Top up your balance or reduce size.
404	Unknown dataset_id	Confirm the dataset is in the supported list above.
422	Filter matched 0 records	Loosen your filter or check field values.
429	Rate limit hit	Back off and retry.

FAQ

Does Search support CSV or JSON file uploads?

No. Elasticsearch cannot read external files at query time. To filter against thousands of values in a CSV or JSON file, use the Filter endpoint.

How many records can Search return in one call?

Search is best for up to 1,000 records per call. For larger pulls, use Filter, which is snapshot-based and supports bulk exports.

Why do Search and Filter return slightly different results?

The two endpoints use different engines. Elasticsearch tokenizes text differently from the snapshot engine, so free-text matches can differ. On free-text fields, prefer the includes operator over =.

Related

• Dataset API overview
• Filter syntax reference
• Filter dataset (async, file uploads)
• Get dataset metadata