FPDS Query Library
About Us
Contact Us

Cage Code

A CAGE code is the unique alphanumeric identifier assigned to the vendor site associated with the award record. It identifies the specific business entity or location represented in FPDS, rather than a free-text vendor name.

Family: Other Transaction IDV
Category: Vendor Site Details
Data Type: identifier_or_code
Semantic Type: identifier
Mapping: flattened_fpds_xml_field
AI Confidence: high

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__entityIdentifiers__cageCode
Title
Cage Code
FPDS Path
OtherTransactionIDV/contractDetail/vendor/vendorSiteDetails/entityIdentifiers/cageCode
Description
A CAGE code is the unique alphanumeric identifier assigned to the vendor site associated with the award record. It identifies the specific business entity or location represented in FPDS, rather than a free-text vendor name.
Business Meaning
This field supports vendor-level analysis, entity matching, and consolidation of awards across naming variations or subsidiary records. It is important for tracking award concentration, identifying repeat recipients, and linking FPDS data to other procurement and entity systems that use CAGE as a common identifier.
Example Value
5HFE3
Observed Non-Null Count
13,407

FPDS Compare

FPDS Query Variable
content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__entityIdentifiers__cageCode
FPDS XML Path
OtherTransactionIDV/contractDetail/vendor/vendorSiteDetails/entityIdentifiers/cageCode
Mapping Type
flattened_fpds_xml_field
Comparison Summary
FPDS Query flattens the original nested FPDS XML path 'OtherTransactionIDV/contractDetail/vendor/vendorSiteDetails/entityIdentifiers/cageCode' into the SQL-ready variable 'content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__entityIdentifiers__cageCode'.

Use Cases

  • Dictionary lookup and field explanation
  • SQL filtering and grouping
  • Analytical reporting and reusable query building
  • Contractor profiling and competitor analysis

Common Usage

  • Linking awards to a specific vendor entity or site
  • Aggregating obligations by contractor across records
  • Matching FPDS records to external vendor reference datasets

Common Mistakes

  • Using the code as a substitute for vendor name without validation
  • Assuming one CAGE code always equals one legal company across all awards

Query Guidance

Use this field as a join key or grouping key after trimming and normalizing case if needed. In SQL, filter out null or placeholder values before counting distinct vendors, and prefer left joins to reference tables so unmatched codes remain visible for data quality checks.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__entityIdentifiers__cageCode AS cage_code
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__entityIdentifiers__cageCode IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Top values

SELECT
    content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__entityIdentifiers__cageCode AS value,
    count() AS record_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__vendor__vendorSiteDetails__entityIdentifiers__cageCode IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY value
ORDER BY record_count DESC
LIMIT 25

Each dictionary item includes SQL-ready examples generated alongside the variable metadata, allowing immediate use in FPDS Query for filtering, aggregation, and analysis.