VesselFinder Container Tracking API

openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: VesselFinder Container Tracking API
  description: |
    Container Tracking API for ocean freight monitoring. Supplies real-time vessel position
    overlaid on container schedules — origin, destination, transhipments, ports of loading
    and discharge, and event timestamps. Lookups are by container number (11 characters,
    four letters + seven digits) and optional carrier SCAC code; if SCAC is omitted the API
    auto-detects the line. Successful container lookups are cached for 12 hours; the first
    lookup per container deducts one unit from the subscription, subsequent lookups within
    30 days are free.
  version: '1.0'
  contact:
    name: VesselFinder Container Tracking Support
    url: https://container.vesselfinder.com/api/1.0/docs
  license:
    name: Commercial — VesselFinder Terms of Use
    url: https://www.vesselfinder.com/terms
servers:
  - url: https://container.vesselfinder.com/api/1.0
    description: VesselFinder Container Tracking API
tags:
  - name: Containers
    description: Real-time container track-and-trace.
paths:
  /container/{apiKey}/{containerNumber}/{sealine}:
    get:
      tags: [Containers]
      summary: Track Container
      description: |
        Look up the shipment for the specified container. Returns container origin,
        destination, current vessel position, progress, and schedule events. May respond
        with 202 Accepted while the request is processing — clients should poll the same
        URL no faster than every 60 seconds. Typical processing time is under one minute
        and may extend up to 15–20 minutes in worst case.
      operationId: trackContainer
      parameters:
        - name: apiKey
          in: path
          required: true
          description: Personal API key for the Container Tracking service.
          schema: { type: string }
        - name: containerNumber
          in: path
          required: true
          description: 11-character container number (four letters + seven digits).
          schema:
            type: string
            pattern: '^[A-Z]{4}[0-9]{7}$'
            example: MEDU6965343
        - name: sealine
          in: path
          required: true
          description: |
            4-character carrier SCAC code (e.g. `MSCU`). Use `AUTO` to let the service
            auto-detect the carrier.
          schema:
            type: string
            default: AUTO
            example: MSCU
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Container shipment data is ready.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema: { $ref: '#/components/schemas/ContainerShipment' }
        '202':
          description: Request queued or still processing — retry after 60 seconds or longer.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema: { $ref: '#/components/schemas/QueuedResponse' }
        '400':
          description: Invalid container number, SCAC, or rate limit exceeded.
        '401':
          description: Invalid or expired API key.
        '402':
          description: Container subscription limit reached.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema: { $ref: '#/components/schemas/SubscriptionError' }
        '409':
          description: Carrier-related error.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema: { $ref: '#/components/schemas/CarrierError' }
components:
  schemas:
    ContainerShipment:
      type: object
      properties:
        status: { type: string, enum: [success, queued, processing, error] }
        general: { $ref: '#/components/schemas/General' }
        schedule:
          type: array
          items: { $ref: '#/components/schemas/ScheduleEntry' }
        vessel: { $ref: '#/components/schemas/Vessel' }
    General:
      type: object
      properties:
        origin: { type: string }
        destination: { type: string }
        progress: { type: number, description: 0..100 percent. }
        currentLocation: { type: string }
        carrier: { type: string }
        sealine: { type: string, description: SCAC code of the carrier. }
    ScheduleEntry:
      type: object
      properties:
        port: { type: string }
        locode: { type: string }
        event:
          type: string
          description: Event code (CEP, CPS, CGI, CLL, VDL, VAT, CDT, CLT, VDT, VAD, CDD, CGO, CDC, CER, UNK).
        timestamp: { type: string, format: date-time }
        actual: { type: boolean, description: True if the timestamp is observed; false if scheduled. }
        vessel: { $ref: '#/components/schemas/Vessel' }
    Vessel:
      type: object
      properties:
        name: { type: string }
        imo: { type: integer }
        mmsi: { type: integer }
        latitude: { type: number }
        longitude: { type: number }
        speed: { type: number }
        course: { type: number }
    QueuedResponse:
      type: object
      properties:
        status: { type: string, enum: [queued, processing] }
        retryAfter: { type: integer, description: Suggested retry interval in seconds. }
    SubscriptionError:
      type: object
      properties:
        status: { type: string }
        subscription:
          type: object
          properties:
            remaining: { type: integer }
            expirationDate: { type: string, format: date-time }
    CarrierError:
      type: object
      properties:
        status: { type: string }
        code: { type: string }
        message: { type: string }
  securitySchemes:
    PathApiKey:
      type: apiKey
      in: query
      name: apiKey
      description: |
        API key is passed as a path segment of the tracking URL, not as a header or query
        parameter. This security scheme is declarative only.
security:
  - PathApiKey: []