# /sothebys/auctions/search

`POST /api/sothebys/auctions/search`

Price: 20 credits

Search the Sotheby's auction calendar, upcoming or past, by keyword, date range, sale location, department and auction format, ordered by sale date. Returns auctions with title, sale date, location, departments, sale number, description and images.

## How to use it

Find Sotheby's auctions by date, place or department. Pass an auction's id to sothebys/auctions for sessions and viewing days, or to sothebys/auctions/lots for its lots.

## Parameters

- `access-token` (string, required)

## Request body

- `timeout` (integer) — Max scrapping execution timeout (in seconds) (default: 300; min: 20; max: 1500)
- `keyword` (string, nullable) — Search text (examples: "watches"; minLength: 1)
- `status` (string) — upcoming or past sales (default: "upcoming"; one of: "all", "upcoming", "past")
- `date_from` (string, nullable) — Earliest sale date (format: date; examples: "2026-10-01")
- `date_to` (string, nullable) — Latest sale date (format: date; examples: "2026-12-31")
- `locations` (array) — Sale locations (default: []; one of: "Aalst, Belgium", "Abu Dhabi", "Alton, UK", "Amelia Island", "Amsterdam", "Anahola, Kauai, HI", "Aspen", "Atlanta", "Auburn", "Bali, Indonesia", "Beaune", "Beaver Creek, Vail Valley, CO", "Beijing", "Bel Air, CA", "Berkshire, UK", "Blenheim, Ontario", "Boca Raton", "Bordeaux", "Carson, CA", "Chicago", "Chilmark, Martha's Vineyard, MA", "Chobham, United Kingdom", "Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet, France", "Cologne", "Coral Gables, Florida", "Corfu", "Culver City, California", "Dallas", "Davenport, UK", "Dayton", "Diriyah", "Doha", "Dubai", "Edinburgh", "Edwards, Vail Valley, CO", "Epsom, UK", "Essen", "Fort Lauderdale", "Fort Worth", "Geneva", "Graz, Austria", "Greenwich, CT", "Hampton", "Hershey", "Hesperus, Near Durango, CO", "Hong Kong", "Houston", "Indiana", "Jackson Hole, WY", "Key West, FL", "Kona Coast, Big Island, HI", "Lake Como", "Lake Tegernsee, Germany", "Langenthal", "Las Vegas", "Le Mans", "Liechtenstein", "London", "London | Online", "Los Angeles", "Madrid", "Malibu", "Mexico City", "Miami", "Milan", "Monaco", "Monte Carlo", "Monterey", "Mount Veeder, Napa Valley, California", "Mumbai", "Munich", "Mykonos", "Napa", "Napa Valley", "Near San Francisco, CA", "New York", "New York | Online", "Oxford, UK", "Palm Beach", "Paris", "Paso Robles, CA", "Phoenix", "Pickering, Ontario", "Plymouth", "Riyadh", "Saint Louis", "Saint Simons, Near Sea Island, GA", "Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, French Riviera, France", "San Francisco", "Santa Ana", "Santa Monica", "Sarasota", "Sarasota Area, FL", "Scottsdale", "Shanghai", "Silverstone, UK", "Singapore", "Southampton, NY", "St. Moritz", "Stuttgart", "The Hamakua Coast, HI", "Toronto", "Torrance", "Tuxedo Park, NY", "Umm Suqeim, United Arab Emirates", "Washington DC/Baltimore", "Waynesville, Near Cincinnati, OH", "Wellington, FL", "Wiltshire", "Yas Island", "Zurich"; examples: ["London","Hong Kong"])
- `departments` (array) — Sotheby's departments (default: []; one of: "19th Century European Paintings", "19th Century Furniture & Sculpture", "20th Century Design", "Aboriginal Art", "African & Oceanic Art", "African Modern & Contemporary Art", "American Art", "American Furniture, Decorative Art & Folk Art", "Ancient Sculpture and Works of Art", "Asian Art", "Automobiles | RM Sotheby's", "Books & Manuscripts", "British Paintings 1550-1850", "British Watercolours & Drawings 1550-1850", "Canadian Art", "Chinese Export Porcelain", "Chinese Paintings – Classical", "Chinese Paintings – Modern", "Chinese Works of Art", "Clocks & Barometers", "Coins and Medals", "Contemporary Arab, Iranian & Turkish Art", "Contemporary Art", "Czech Art", "Digital Art", "Dutch & Belgian Paintings", "English Furniture", "European Ceramics", "European Ceramics & Glass", "European Sculpture & Works of Art", "French & Continental Furniture", "German, Austrian & Central European Paintings", "Gold Boxes & Objects of Vertu", "Handbags & Fashion", "Handbags and Accessories", "History of Science & Technology", "House Sales & Private Collections", "Impressionist & Modern Art", "Indian & Himalayan Art", "Indian & South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art", "Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art", "Irish Art", "Islamic & Indian Art", "Islamic Art", "Israeli & International Art", "Italian Paintings", "Japanese Art", "Jewelry", "Judaica", "Latin American Art", "Modern & Contemporary Middle East", "Modern & Contemporary Southeast Asian Art", "Modern Art | Asia", "Modern British & Irish Art", "Musical Instruments", "Natural History", "Objects of Vertu", "Old Master Drawings", "Old Master Paintings", "Orientalist Paintings", "Photographs", "Popular Culture", "Pre-Columbian Art", "Prints", "Real Estate | Concierge Auctions", "Real Estate | Sotheby's Concierge Auctions", "Rugs & Carpets", "Russian Art", "Science and Popular Culture", "Scottish Art", "Silver", "Sneakers, Sports Memorabilia & Modern Collectibles", "Sotheby's Concierge Auctions", "Space Exploration", "Spanish Paintings", "Special Projects", "Sports Memorabilia", "Stamps", "Swiss Art", "Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite & British Impressionist Art", "Watches", "Whisky & Spirits", "Wine", "Wine & Spirits"; examples: ["Watches"])
- `auction_types` (array) — Auction formats (default: []; one of: "Legacy Auction", "Legacy LEC", "Legacy Other", "Legacy VIR", "Main Sales", "Online Auctions", "Private Sales", "RM Sales", "Single Owner Sales", "Theme Sales", "Time based sales", "Unknown"; examples: ["Online Auctions"])
- `sort` (string) — Result order (default: "date_asc"; one of: "date_asc", "date_desc", "relevance")
- `count` (integer, required) — Max number of auctions to return (min: 1; max: 1000)

## Response

### 200 — Successful Response

- `@type` (string) (default: "SothebysAuction")
- `id` (string, required)
- `url` (string, nullable)
- `alias` (string, nullable)
- `year` (integer, nullable)
- `description` (string, nullable)
- `sale_number` (string, nullable)
- `departments` (array) (default: [])
- `state` (string, nullable)
- `sale_format` (string, nullable)
- `sale_type` (string, nullable)
- `currency` (string, nullable)
- `location` (string, nullable)
- `timezone` (string, nullable)
- `conditions_of_sale` (string, nullable)
- `is_lot_number_hidden` (boolean, nullable)
- `published_at` (integer, nullable)
- `bidding_opens_at` (integer, nullable)
- `closing_starts_at` (integer, nullable)
- `live_at` (integer, nullable)
- `closed_at` (integer, nullable)
- `bidding_phase` (string, nullable)
- `bidding_method` (string, nullable)
- `closing_interval` (integer, nullable)
- `bidding_channels` (array) (default: [])
- `phone_bid_cutoff_at` (integer, nullable)
- `lot_count` (integer, nullable)
- `images` (array) (default: [])
- `sessions` (array) (default: [])
  - `@type` (string) (default: "SothebysAuctionSession")
  - `id` (string, nullable)
  - `opens_at` (integer, nullable)
  - `state` (string, nullable)
  - `first_lot_number` (string, nullable)
  - `last_lot_number` (string, nullable)
- `viewings` (array) (default: [])
  - `@type` (string) (default: "SothebysAuctionViewing")
  - `location` (string, nullable)
  - `starts_at` (integer, nullable)
  - `ends_at` (integer, nullable)
- `saleroom_notices` (array) (default: [])
  - `@type` (string) (default: "SothebysSaleroomNotice")
  - `text` (string, nullable)
  - `lot_id` (string, nullable)
  - `lot_number` (string, nullable)
  - `lot_title` (string, nullable)
- `featured_filters` (array) (default: [])
  - `@type` (string) (default: "SothebysFeaturedFilter")
  - `name` (string, nullable)
  - `facet` (string, nullable)
  - `value` (string, nullable)
- `ends_at` (integer, nullable)
- `starts_at` (integer, nullable)
- `details` (string, nullable)
- `sale_total` (number, nullable)
- `sale_total_currency` (string, nullable)
- `artists` (array) (default: [])
- `artist_ids` (array) (default: [])
- `brands` (array) (default: [])
- `tags` (array) (default: [])
- `updated_at` (integer, nullable)
- `image_caption` (string, nullable)
- `locations` (array) (default: [])
- `divisions` (array) (default: [])
- `regions` (array) (default: [])
- `latitude` (number, nullable)
- `longitude` (number, nullable)

## Errors

### 422 — Validation Error

The request body did not validate

What to do: Check the fields against this schema. A URN with the wrong prefix is the most common cause.

- `detail` (array)
  - `loc` (array, required)
  - `msg` (string, required)
  - `type` (string, required)
  - `input` (any)
  - `ctx` (object)

### 408

The request ran past its time limit

What to do: Raise `timeout` in the request body, up to the maximum this endpoint documents. Lowering `count` or turning off the `with_*` flags also helps, because less work finishes sooner.

### 412

The entity was not found, or a precondition failed

What to do: Retrying will not help: either the entity does not exist, or the input points at a different one.

### 429

Too many requests: a rate limit or a usage window is exhausted

What to do: When the response carries an X-Retry-After header, wait that many seconds and retry: the same number is in the body as `detail.retry_after`, and the limit clears once that window passes. The message in the body names the limit that was hit.

### 500

Something broke on our side

What to do: Retrying will not help. If it keeps happening, send us the X-Request-ID from the response headers.

### 529

Rate limit reached, or the endpoint is overloaded

What to do: Wait at least 30 seconds, then retry.

## Response envelope

Success: Array of objects (may be empty if no results)

Error: Error may coexist with partial results if it occurs mid-execution. Check X-Error header and status code.

Every response carries these headers:

- `X-Error` — Error message text (present only on error)
- `X-Request-ID` — Unique request identifier
- `X-Execution-Time` — Execution time in seconds
- `X-Result-Count` — How many records the body carries. 0 means an empty result, which is a normal answer and not by itself an error. A non-zero count can come back together with X-Error when the failure happened partway through — read this header and X-Error independently.
- `X-Total-Available-Results` — How many records exist for this query, when the endpoint can say. On a `dry_run` request this is the answer and the body is empty. It saturates: the endpoint's documented maximum means 'at least that many', any smaller number is exact.
- `X-Warning` — Present when the request body carried keys this endpoint does not document. They were ignored, so any filter you meant to apply through them did not apply. Check the spelling against this schema and retry.
- `X-Retry-After` — Seconds to wait before retrying. Present only on 429.