Website: English · Deutsch — command reference, guides and API docs
Browse Germany's FIM Portal — the authoritative catalogue of XDatenfelder schemas,
XZuFi services and XProzess processes — from your terminal. fim-portal is a
command-line tool over the FIM Portal REST API (fimportal.de):
search and download data schemas, data fields, document profiles, service profiles,
service texts and process models — as clean JSON or native XML/PDF you can pipe
straight into jq or save to a file.
--compact for one-line/scripting.schemas, fields, groups,
document-profiles), XZuFi (service-profiles, service-texts,
organizational-units, specializations, online-services) and XProzess
(processes, process-classes).-o.Want to use this as a TypeScript library or understand how it's built? See DEVELOPING.md.
npm i -g @maschinenlesbar.org/fim-portal-cli
This installs the fim-portal command. Requires Node.js 20+.
Check it works:
fim-portal --help
No setup needed — the FIM Portal's open endpoints require no authentication. Your first search:
fim-portal schemas search --fts-query "Geburt" --is-latest --limit 5
The result is a JSON envelope; the matching schemas live under items. Pull out just ids and names with jq:
fim-portal schemas search --fts-query "Geburt" --is-latest --limit 5 \
| jq '.items[] | {id: .fim_id, name, version: .fim_version}'
Take a fim_id from those results and fetch its full record:
fim-portal schemas get S07000009
schemas search | versions | get | xdf | quality-report
document-profiles search | versions | get | xdf
fields search | versions | get | xdf
groups search | versions | get | xdf
service-profiles search | get | xzufi | pdf
service-texts search | get | xzufi | pdf | parsed-xzufi
organizational-units list | xzufi
specializations list | xzufi
online-services list | xzufi
process-classes search | get | xprozess
processes search | get | xprozess | report | visualization | visualization-display
code-lists
search-csv
get, versions, xdf, xzufi, xprozess, pdf, report, visualization,
and visualization-display take a <fim_id> (and optionally a version, defaulting
to latest). For fields and groups, a <namespace> argument comes before the
FIM id.
schemas search filters| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--fts-query <text> |
free-text search |
--suche-nur-in <module> |
restrict FTS to one module (e.g. Rechtsgrundlagen) |
--name <text> |
name contains |
--nummernkreis <prefix> |
owning number range, repeatable, prefix match |
--xdf-version <v> |
XDF version: 2.0, 2.0.0, or 3.0.0 |
--freigabe-status <n> |
approval status 1–8, repeatable |
--is-latest |
newest version per id only |
--order-by <field> |
sort field (id_asc, name_asc, geaendert_datum_zeit_desc, …) |
--limit <n> |
page size (1–200, default 200) |
--offset <n> |
page offset (0-based) |
The table lists the most-used filters. Each search command also accepts more
specialised ones (date windows like --gueltig-am / --updated-since, status
filters, --bezeichnung, --stichwort, and others) — run
fim-portal <group> search --help for the complete, authoritative list.
The same core filters (--fts-query, --name, --nummernkreis, --xdf-version,
--freigabe-status, --is-latest, --order-by, --limit, --offset) are shared
across document-profiles search, fields search and groups search.
fields search extra filters| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--feldart <kind> |
field kind: input, select, label, hidden, locked |
--datentyp <type> |
data type: text, text_latin, date, time, datetime, bool, num, num_int, num_currency, file, obj |
document-profiles search extra filter| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--dokumentart <code> |
document kind code 001–014, 999 |
service-profiles search filters| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--fts-query <text> |
free-text search |
--sprache <lang> |
language: Deutsch, Englisch, Polnisch, etc. |
--sdg-relevant |
only SDG-relevant services |
--ozg-themenfeld <field> |
OZG thematic field, repeatable |
--leistungsadressat <a> |
service addressee, repeatable |
--vollzugsbehoerde <v> |
executing authority: BAMF, BLE, DRV |
--einheitlicher-ansprechpartner |
EA-relevant only |
--updated-since <iso> |
changed after ISO date |
--order-by <field> |
sort field (relevance, titel_asc, geaendert_datum_zeit_desc, …) |
--limit <n> |
page size |
--offset <n> |
page offset |
service-texts search filters| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--fts-query <text> |
free-text search |
--source <src> |
leika, landesredaktion, or pvog |
--limit <n> |
page size |
--offset <n> |
page offset |
service-texts search additionally accepts many structured filters
(--leistungsschluessel, --title, --leistungstyp, --ozg-id,
--vollzugsbehoerde, --updated-since, --order-by, and more) — run
fim-portal service-texts search --help for the full list.
processes search filters| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--fts-query <text> |
free-text search |
--detaillierungsstufe <n> |
detail level 101–105 |
--is-musterprozess |
template processes only |
--anwendungsgebiet <code> |
application domain 01–17 |
--freigabe-status <n> |
approval status, repeatable |
--limit <n> |
page size |
--offset <n> |
page offset |
organizational-units list, specializations list, online-services list (cursor pagination)| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--limit <n> |
page size |
--cursor <n> |
cursor from previous response's next_cursor |
code-lists filters| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--limit <n> |
page size |
--offset <n> |
page offset |
search-csv filters| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
--resource <name> |
required — e.g. schemas, fields, groups, leistungen, processes |
--term <text> |
search term |
--xdf-version <v> |
XDF version |
--feldart <kind> |
field kind |
--datentyp <type> |
data type |
--dokumentart <code> |
document kind |
--sprache <lang> |
language |
--order-by <field> |
sort field |
search-csv is a pass-through to tools/search-csv-download — values are
forwarded verbatim and validated by the server.
A few recipes to get going — see Usage.md for the full, use-case-driven set.
# Find schemas matching a topic, latest versions only
fim-portal schemas search --fts-query "Geburt" --is-latest --limit 5
# Full schema at a specific version
fim-portal schemas get S07000009 1.0
# Quality report for a schema
fim-portal schemas quality-report S07000009 latest
# Download the XDatenfelder XML to a file
fim-portal -o geburt.xml schemas xdf S07000009 1.0
# Search released text-input fields
fim-portal fields search --feldart input --datentyp text \
--freigabe-status 5 --freigabe-status 6 --limit 20
# Look up a service profile by keyword
fim-portal service-profiles search --fts-query "Personalausweis" --sprache Deutsch
# Export a service profile as PDF
fim-portal -o leistung.pdf service-profiles pdf 99008001012012 de-DE
# Find template processes at detail level 105
fim-portal processes search --detaillierungsstufe 105 --is-musterprozess --limit 20
# Download a process visualization PDF
fim-portal -o vis.pdf processes visualization 99146014080000 01.00.00 105
# Bulk CSV export of field search results
fim-portal -o fields.csv search-csv --resource fields --term Name
# Page through organizational units (cursor pagination)
fim-portal organizational-units list --limit 50
fim-portal organizational-units list --cursor 50 --limit 50
The identifiers above (
S07000009,99008001012012,99146014080000, etc.) are illustrative — substitute ids from a realsearchorlistresult.
Every JSON command prints pretty JSON to stdout. Download commands (xdf,
xzufi, xprozess, pdf, report, visualization, visualization-display,
search-csv) stream raw bytes to stdout or to a file with -o/--output. Errors
and diagnostics go to stderr, so piping stdout into jq stays clean.
-ooverwrites without asking. If the target file already exists it is replaced (the bytes are fully buffered first, so a failed download never leaves a half-written file). Pick a fresh path, or check for the file yourself, if you need to avoid clobbering existing data.
# How many schemas match a query?
fim-portal schemas search --fts-query "Meldung" | jq '.total_count'
# Pull item summaries from a paginated result
fim-portal --compact fields search --feldart select --limit 50 \
| jq '.items | length'
# Reshape a service profile (title + service key)
fim-portal service-profiles get 99008001012012 \
| jq '{titel: .titel, schluessel: .leistungsschluessel}'
Use --compact for single-line JSON in pipelines and logs:
fim-portal --compact schemas search --fts-query "Geburt" --is-latest | jq '.items[0]'
--compact (and every global option) works before or after the command —
both fim-portal --compact schemas search … and fim-portal schemas search … --compact
do the same thing.
Exit codes make the CLI easy to use in scripts:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
0 |
success (also --help / --version) |
4 |
resource not found (404) |
1 |
any other error (bad usage / invalid arguments, network failure, server error, unexpected) |
command not found: fim-portal — the global npm bin directory isn't on your
PATH. Run npm bin -g to find it and add it, or run via
npx @maschinenlesbar.org/fim-portal-cli ….4 / "not found" — the id doesn't exist in the portal. Re-fetch it
from a fresh search result; ids and versions can change as the catalogue updates.1 / network error — connectivity, DNS, or a timeout. Try again, or raise
the limit with --timeout 60000.429 / too many requests — the portal rate-limits by IP. The CLI retries
automatically (up to --max-retries, default 2); if it still fails, wait a
moment and retry.items / total_count: 0 — the search matched nothing; broaden
--fts-query, drop a filter, or try a different keyword.-o write error — the parent directory must exist and be writable; the path
is used verbatim with no auto-creation.xdf, pdf, xprozess,
…) stream binary/XML. Always use -o <file> unless you intend to pipe the bytes.These apply to every command and may be given before or after it:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-V, --version |
Print the version number |
-h, --help |
Show help for the program or a command |
--compact |
Print JSON on a single line instead of pretty-printed |
-o, --output <file> |
For downloads: write bytes to a file instead of stdout |
--base-url <url> |
API base URL (default https://fimportal.de; https://schema.fim.fitko.net also works). Must be an http:/https: URL — any other scheme is rejected at parse time (exit 1) before any request is made |
--timeout <ms> |
Per-request timeout (default 30000; at most 2147483647) |
--user-agent <ua> |
User-Agent header value |
--max-retries <n> |
Retries for transient 429/503 responses (default 2) |
--max-response-bytes <n> |
Cap response body size in bytes (0 = unlimited; default 100 MiB) |
This CLI is a client — it accesses data it does not own or redistribute. The upstream data is © its provider and licensed separately from this tool's code. See DATA_LICENSE.md.
Data license not declared by the provider. FITKO publishes no explicit license for the FIM catalogue data (CC0 / DL-DE Zero is only inferred, not confirmed). Attribute as good practice and verify with FITKO before commercial reuse.
Dual-licensed — use it under either:
See LICENSING.md for details, and CONTRIBUTING.md for the contribution policy (this project does not accept external code contributions). Commercial enquiries: sebs@2xs.org.