CargoDocs

CargoDocs, operated by EssDocs, is a digital trade documentation platform that eliminates paper-based shipping documents by letting carriers, shippers, banks, and partner platforms issue, sign, transfer, and surrender original electronic bills of lading (eBoL), sea waybills (SWB), warehouse warrants (eWW), and supporting trade documents. CargoDocs DocEx is used by container lines, NVOCCs, bulk/tanker carriers, commodity shippers, and trade finance banks to move documents in minutes rather than days while retaining negotiability and legal effect. Developers interact with CargoDocs through three OpenAPI-described REST APIs hosted on ReadMe - the Partner API (embed DocEx in third-party platforms), the Issuer API (carrier/NVOCC issuance and amendments), and the Customer Data/Docs API (exporter drafting and back-office integration).

CargoDocs publishes 7 APIs on the APIs.io network, including Common API, Documents API, Exchange API, and 4 more. Tagged areas include Bills of Lading, Documentation, eBoL, EssDocs, and MLETR.

The CargoDocs catalog on APIs.io includes 1 JSON-LD context and 1 Spectral governance ruleset.

CargoDocs’ developer surface includes authentication, engineering blog, and 12 more developer resources.

🌐 Visit website 📡 Source on GitHub

48.4/100 developing ▬ flat Agent 31/100 agent aware Full breakdown ↓
scored 2026-07-28 · rubric v0.6

AccessEnterpriseSelf serve

7 APIs

Bills of LadingDocumentationeBoLEssDocsMLETRShippingSupply ChainTradeTrade FinanceWarehouse Warrants

Kin Score

Kin Score How this is scored →
scored 2026-07-28 · rubric v0.6

Composite quality — 48.4/100 · developing

Contract Quality 18.7 / 25

Developer Ergonomics 2.6 / 20

Commercial Clarity 10.0 / 20

Operational Transparency 2.7 / 13

Governance 7.0 / 12

Discoverability 7.4 / 10

Agent readiness — 31/100 · agent aware

Machine-Readable Contract 18 / 18

Agentic Access Contract 10 / 10

MCP Server 0 / 12

Machine-Readable Auth 10 / 10

Idempotency 0 / 9

Stable Error Semantics 0 / 8

Request/Response Examples 0 / 7

Rate-Limit Signaling 7 / 7

Typed Event Surface 0 / 6

Agent Skills 0 / 5

Well-Known Catalog 0 / 4

Consent & Bot Identity 0 / 3

A2A Agent Card 0 / 8

Dry-Run / Simulate Mode 0 / 4

Improve this rating by publishing the missing artifacts — every area above can be raised, and the full rubric is at apis.io/rating/. This rating is computed from github.com/api-evangelist/cargodocs: open an issue to ask a question, or submit a pull request to add artifacts. Want it done for you? Prioritized profiling — $2,500 →

APIs 7

Individual APIs this provider publishes, each with its own machine-readable definition.

Rate Limits 1

Documented rate limits and quota policies.

Cargodocs Rate Limits

1 limits

RATE LIMITS

FinOps 1

Cost, billing, and metering signals for API financial operations.

JSON Schema 5

Standalone JSON Schema definitions for this provider's data models.

Documentation 3

Reference material describing how the API behaves

Partner Docs

Partner Docs

Issuer Docs

Issuer Docs

Customer Docs

Customer Docs

Agent Surfaces 1

MCP servers, agent skills, and machine-readable catalogs

AgenticAccess

AgenticAccess

Design & Contract 1

Pagination, idempotency, versioning, errors, and events

JSONLDContext

JSONLDContext

Access & Security 2

Authentication, authorization, and security posture

DomainSecurity

DomainSecurity

Authentication

Authentication

Operate 1

Status, limits, changes, and where to get help

Contact

Contact

Commercial 2

Pricing, plans, and the legal terms of use

TermsOfService

TermsOfService

PrivacyPolicy

PrivacyPolicy

Company 3

The organization behind the API

Website

Website

Blog

Blog

LinkedIn

Other 1

Properties that don't map to a standard resource type

Product

Product

Source (apis.yml)

aid: cargodocs
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/cargodocs/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
name: CargoDocs
description: CargoDocs, operated by EssDocs, is a digital trade documentation platform that eliminates paper-based shipping
  documents by letting carriers, shippers, banks, and partner platforms issue, sign, transfer, and surrender original electronic
  bills of lading (eBoL), sea waybills (SWB), warehouse warrants (eWW), and supporting trade documents. CargoDocs DocEx is
  used by container lines, NVOCCs, bulk/tanker carriers, commodity shippers, and trade finance banks to move documents in
  minutes rather than days while retaining negotiability and legal effect. Developers interact with CargoDocs through three
  OpenAPI-described REST APIs hosted on ReadMe - the Partner API (embed DocEx in third-party platforms), the Issuer API (carrier/NVOCC
  issuance and amendments), and the Customer Data/Docs API (exporter drafting and back-office integration).
type: Index
kind: company
accessModel:
  pricing: enterprise
  onboarding: self-serve
  trial: false
  try_now: false
  public: false
  label: Enterprise · Self-serve signup
  confidence: high
  source:
  - plans
  - authentication
  generated: '2026-07-22'
  method: derived
position: Consumer
access: 3rd-Party
image: https://kinlane-images.s3.amazonaws.com/shared/apis-json/icons/cargodocs.png
tags:
- Bills of Lading
- Documentation
- eBoL
- EssDocs
- MLETR
- Shipping
- Supply Chain
- Trade
- Trade Finance
- Warehouse Warrants
created: '2025-01-08'
modified: '2026-05-19'
specificationVersion: '0.19'
apis:
- aid: cargodocs:cargodocs-common-api
  name: CargoDocs Common API
  description: Common API endpoints shared across partner operations
  humanURL: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  baseURL: https://api.essdocs.com
  tags:
  - Common
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/cargodocs-common-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/docs/api-environments
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-customer.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-counterparty.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/docs/first-api-call
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-bill-of-lading.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-customer.readme.io/
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-transaction.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-document.json
- aid: cargodocs:cargodocs-documents-api
  name: CargoDocs Documents API
  description: Endpoints for retrieving and downloading documents
  humanURL: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  baseURL: https://api.essdocs.com
  tags:
  - Documents
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/cargodocs-documents-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/docs/api-environments
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-customer.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-counterparty.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/docs/first-api-call
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-bill-of-lading.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-customer.readme.io/
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-transaction.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-document.json
- aid: cargodocs:cargodocs-exchange-api
  name: CargoDocs Exchange API
  description: Partner Exchange API endpoints for customer and employee data
  humanURL: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  baseURL: https://api.essdocs.com
  tags:
  - Exchange
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/cargodocs-exchange-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/docs/api-environments
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-customer.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-counterparty.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/docs/first-api-call
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-bill-of-lading.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-customer.readme.io/
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-transaction.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-document.json
- aid: cargodocs:cargodocs-import-api
  name: CargoDocs Import API
  description: Endpoints for importing shipment data to create documents
  humanURL: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  baseURL: https://api.essdocs.com
  tags:
  - Import
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/cargodocs-import-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/docs/api-environments
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-customer.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-counterparty.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/docs/first-api-call
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-bill-of-lading.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-customer.readme.io/
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-transaction.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-document.json
- aid: cargodocs:cargodocs-issuance-api
  name: CargoDocs Issuance API
  description: Endpoints for drafting, issuing, and re-issuing electronic bills of lading
  humanURL: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  baseURL: https://api.essdocs.com
  tags:
  - Issuance
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/cargodocs-issuance-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/docs/api-environments
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-customer.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-counterparty.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/docs/first-api-call
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-bill-of-lading.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-customer.readme.io/
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-transaction.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-document.json
- aid: cargodocs:cargodocs-surrender-api
  name: CargoDocs Surrender API
  description: Endpoints for receiving surrendered electronic bills of lading
  humanURL: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  baseURL: https://api.essdocs.com
  tags:
  - Surrender
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/cargodocs-surrender-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/docs/api-environments
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-customer.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-counterparty.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/docs/first-api-call
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-bill-of-lading.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-customer.readme.io/
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-transaction.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-document.json
- aid: cargodocs:cargodocs-transactions-api
  name: CargoDocs Transactions API
  description: Endpoints for finding and managing transactions
  humanURL: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  baseURL: https://api.essdocs.com
  tags:
  - Transactions
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/cargodocs-transactions-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/docs/api-environments
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-customer.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-counterparty.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/
  - type: GettingStarted
    url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/docs/first-api-call
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-bill-of-lading.json
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://cargodocs-customer.readme.io/
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-transaction.json
  - type: JSONSchema
    url: json-schema/cargodocs-document.json
common:
- type: AgenticAccess
  url: agentic-access/cargodocs-agentic-access.yml
- type: DomainSecurity
  url: security/cargodocs-domain-security.yml
- type: Authentication
  url: authentication/cargodocs-authentication.yml
- type: Website
  url: https://www.essdocs.com/
- type: Product
  url: https://www.essdocs.com/cargodocs
- url: json-ld/cargodocs-context.jsonld
  name: CargoDocs JSON-LD Context
  type: JSONLDContext
  description: JSON-LD context document for CargoDocs domain entities.
- type: Partner Docs
  url: https://cargodocs-partner.readme.io/
- type: Issuer Docs
  url: https://cargodocs-issuer.readme.io/
- type: Customer Docs
  url: https://cargodocs-customer.readme.io/
- type: Blog
  url: https://www.essdocs.com/blog
- type: Contact
  url: https://www.essdocs.com/contact
- type: TermsOfService
  url: https://www.essdocs.com/terms
- type: PrivacyPolicy
  url: https://www.essdocs.com/privacy
- type: LinkedIn
  url: https://www.linkedin.com/company/essdocs
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com