Double spaces before LIMITED or LTD when using search

API Issues
#1

When using the search endpoint, the title field sometimes has a double space before the final “LIMITED” or “LTD”. This isn’t in the company name in company profile. Is this a bug around adding terminal “LTD” / “LIMITED” designations?

Example - note the double space in the title returned:

curl -u%APIKEY%: “https://api.companieshouse.gov.uk/search/companies?q=07581392&items_per_page=2”

{
    "kind": "search#companies",
    "items_per_page": 2,
    "start_index": 0,
    "items": [
    {
        "description": "07581392 - Incorporated on 29 March 2011",
        "title": "ASCN  LIMITED",
        "kind": "searchresults#company",
        "company_type": "ltd",
        "company_number": "07581392",
        "company_status": "active",
        ...
    }],
    "page_number": 1,
    "total_results": 1    
}

If I look at the company profile, no such double space appears.

curl -u%APIKEY%: “https://api.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07581392”

{
    "type": "ltd",
    "company_number": "07581392",
    "company_name": "ASCN LIMITED",
    "etag": "b57e83fbb13a69cbc5f13e1fa71ef7928a3bb8c6",
    "company_status": "active",
    ...
}

Another:

curl -u%APIKEY%: “https://api.companieshouse.gov.uk/search/companies?q=08543894&items_per_page=2”

{
    "page_number": 1,
    "total_results": 1,
    "kind": "search#companies",
    "items_per_page": 2,
    "start_index": 0,
    "items": [
    {
        "company_type": "ltd",
        "company_number": "08543894",
        "company_status": "active",
        "kind": "searchresults#company",
        "title": "CAS INTL  LTD",
        "description": "08543894 - Incorporated on 24 May 2013",
        ...
    }]    
}

A few examples where this double space appears when using search:

07581392 ASCN  LIMITED
08543894 CAS INTL  LTD
10400383 ESSEX INVESTMENTS  LTD
09117373 LOKI INTERNET  LIMITED
08141397 LEE DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS  LIMITED
10842924 GREEN DOG ENTERPRISES  LTD.
10811447 MAGNUSMENTIS  LIMITED
10963466 MAYUR VADHER I.T. SERVICES  LTD
09668015 MECHANICAL SYMPATHY  LTD
08457231 NIMBLE CODE  LIMITED
11033778 NY TECHNICAL SERVICES  LIMITED
10237254 SPENCER JAMES CONSULTING  LIMITED
Company Name on API verses Website Company Name Issue
Names with double spaces
#2

This is exactly a bug around adding terminal “LTD” / “LIMITED” designations.
The priority of this fix is low, so I do not know when it will be fixed.

#3

Just work around it:

Do Until Not Instr(name,"[double-space]")
name=replace(name,"[double-space]","[single-space]")
Loop

#4

I wish it was that simple for us.
Hopefully it is that simple for you to work around it.

#5

Yes, this was really a suggestion for users to work around the double-space problem.

1 Like
#6

Thanks to all - yup client work-around is simple but just reporting it to share the knowledge…