CNPJAPI

Segmented company lists (official Receita data)

CNPJAPI lets you build and export lists of companies by filtering Receita Federal's public database on business criteria: activity (CNAE), state and city, company size, legal nature, registration status, Simples/MEI and contact availability. It is the inverse of a lookup: instead of starting from a CNPJ to get its data, you start from the criteria to get the list of companies that match.

Segmentation and export are a self-service feature in the portal (not an API endpoint): you build the filters, preview the size and distribution of the segment, and export the result as Excel (XLSX) or CSV.

The problem

  • Building a company list by segment by hand, one CNPJ at a time, is not feasible.
  • Market list/prospecting tools usually rely on proprietary databases and expensive SaaS contracts, without making clear where the data comes from.
  • Teams already using CNPJAPI's lookup API had no way, from the same official data, to build and download a list by criteria.

How it works

In the portal, under Segmentation (app.cnpjapi.com.br/busca/segmentacao):

  1. Build the filters for the segment: primary CNAE, state and city, company size, legal nature, registration status, Simples/MEI, geographic location (radius or map area) and contact filters (companies with e-mail, with phone).
  2. Segment and preview it: when you hit Segment, the preview shows how many companies are in the segment and their distribution, without returning the raw list. Use it to calibrate the filters before exporting.
  3. Export it: pick the format (XLSX or CSV) and the scope (the whole segment, up to your plan's per-file row limit, or up to a number of rows you set). Before generating, the portal shows how many rows the file will have and how much that consumes (plan allowance and, if needed, credits), with nothing charged silently.
  4. Download it under Exports (/busca/exportacoes): generation is asynchronous; when it is ready you get a notice and download the file (available for 7 days). Downloading again within the window does not charge you twice.

Segmentation by radius and map

Beyond filters by CNAE, city and size, segmentation has geographic location: build the company list within a radius from a ZIP code (or coordinates) or inside an area drawn on the map (rectangle). Handy for field sales, delivery radius, expansion and local prospecting. The coordinate by ZIP code is approximate (centroid). Step by step in Company list by radius or map area.

What the file contains

One row per company, with the fields from the official Receita record: CNPJ, legal name, trade name, registration status, primary activity (CNAE), legal nature, company size, full address (street, district, ZIP, city and state), phone and e-mail when present in the record, and the Simples/MEI flag. Codes come with their description (status, CNAE, legal nature, reason).

Official source, not a proprietary database

The list data is Receita Federal's public data - the same database as the CNPJ lookup. CNPJAPI does not sell a proprietary database, does not enrich with third-party data and does not deliver "validated e-mails" or a "ready-to-send mailing". The contact (phone/e-mail) is what the company declared in the Receita record: it may be missing or outdated, and the list reflects exactly that.

Coming from a prospecting tool? See how CNPJAPI compares in CNPJAPI vs Econodata and Speedio.

Responsible use (LGPD)

A CNPJ and the company registry are public legal-entity data. Even so, how you use the list is your responsibility: when using contacts for outreach, comply with the LGPD and with marketing and communication rules (including opt-out). CNPJAPI delivers the official data; the customer is the controller of how it is used. Pay special attention to MEI, where the line between legal entity and individual is thinner.

Pricing

Export is charged per row, on an allowance-plus-credits model:

  • A monthly row allowance included in the plan (Advanced: 10,000/month; Business: 50,000/month).
  • Add-on credits for volume above the allowance, with no expiration.
  • The preview (count and distribution) stays within the plan limits and is not charged per row - the charge applies only to the export.
  • Per-file limit: each export goes up to 50,000 rows (Advanced) or 100,000 (Business). A segment larger than the limit is generated up to that cap - to take them all, split it into smaller cuts (by state, city or CNAE). Since the per-file limit can be larger than the monthly allowance, a big file may consume credits beyond the allowance; the portal shows the tally before generating.

Compare plans at https://cnpjapi.com.br/#planos.

Need the data for a specific CNPJ?

For the inverse path - from a CNPJ to its data - use the CNPJ lookup (REST API) and the integration guides. Lists and lookups are the two ends of the same official data.

FAQ

Where does the list data come from? From Receita Federal's public data, the same database as the CNPJ lookup. It is not a proprietary database nor third-party enrichment.

Can I export the list to Excel? Yes. Export comes as Excel (XLSX) or CSV.

What criteria can I segment by? Activity (CNAE), state and city, company size, legal nature, registration status, Simples/MEI and contact availability (companies with e-mail or phone), among others.

Does the list include company e-mail and phone? It includes the contact present in the official Receita record, when it exists - it may be missing or outdated. These are not validated e-mails nor a ready-to-send mailing.

How much does it cost? Export is charged per row, with a monthly allowance included in the plan (Advanced 10,000/month, Business 50,000/month) and add-on credits for extra volume.

Is list building done via API? Segmentation and export are self-service in the portal (build filters, preview and export). The CNPJ lookup is the one with a REST API.

Getting started

  1. Create your account at https://app.cnpjapi.com.br and subscribe to a plan with segmentation (Advanced or Business).
  2. Under Segmentation, build your segment filters and check the preview.
  3. Click Export, confirm the rows and the charge, and download the list as Excel or CSV.