Get Updates

Public records, made legible

Understand government. From decision to evidence.

TRACE connects public records, government data, meetings, contracts, spending, and decisions so you can understand what happened and see the source behind it.

Explore the Record Ask a Question

Search preview for the landing build. Live records indexing is not connected yet.

Suggested searches

  • Documents

    Find the underlying public record.

  • Meetings

    See what was discussed, when, and by whom.

  • Spending

    Follow public dollars through agencies, contracts, and vendors.

  • Contracts

    Understand agreements, awards, amendments, and payments.

  • Decisions

    Trace government actions back to supporting records.

Follow the record

Government information is public. Understanding it should be easier.

Public information is scattered across agency websites, PDFs, datasets, meeting portals, procurement systems, budget documents, and records requests.

TRACE brings those pieces together.

We organize the record, preserve the source, explain the context, and make it easier to answer a simple question:

What does the evidence actually show?

See How TRACE Works

Public record

Contract #12345

  • NYC Example Department
  • Issued: May 12, 2026
  • View Source

Meeting

Committee Session

  • May 08, 2026
  • Agenda
  • Minutes
  • Recording

Explore the public record.

Start with the question you care about. Follow the evidence from source to context.

Spending & Payments

See where public money went, which agencies spent it, who received it, and what records explain the transaction.

Follow the money

Contracts & Procurement

Explore awards, vendors, amendments, procurement documents, and related payments.

Explore contracts

Meetings

Find agendas, minutes, testimony, recordings, supporting materials, and decisions connected to public meetings.

Explore meetings

Government Decisions

See what government decided, when it happened, who was involved, and which records support the decision.

Trace decisions

Public Records

Explore government documents and records obtained through public databases, agency publication, FOIL/FOIA, and other lawful public sources.

Explore records

Agencies & Entities

Follow agencies, vendors, boards, offices, programs, and other entities across multiple public sources.

Browse entities

From question to evidence.

Explore the Methodology

Step 01

Start with a question.

What was spent? Who made the decision? What happened at the meeting? Which vendor received the contract? What does the underlying record say?

Step 02

Find the source.

TRACE identifies relevant public datasets, documents, meeting records, contracts, payment records, decisions, and other government-held information.

Step 03

Connect the record.

Related documents, dates, entities, transactions, and decisions are organized into a usable evidence trail.

Step 04

See the context.

We explain what the available records establish, what they do not establish, and what questions remain unanswered.

Source first

See the record in context.

TRACE keeps claims traceable with source records, dates, agencies, and status cues that remain visible as the story develops.

  1. APR 02
    Meeting announced View source
  2. APR 14
    Committee meeting View source
  3. APR 19
    Decision recorded View source
  4. MAY 03
    Contract awarded View source
  5. JUN 11
    First payment issued View source

Source

Primary Source

Contract #12345

Agency
Department of Example Services
Date
May 12, 2026
Reference ID
DOC-12345-A
Status
Verified
View Original Source

Meeting Record

Capital Projects Committee Session

Agency
City Infrastructure Board
Date
April 14, 2026
Reference ID
MEET-0414
Status
Updated
View Original Source

Payment Record

Vendor Payment Release

Agency
Office of Financial Operations
Date
June 11, 2026
Reference ID
PAY-0611
Status
Archived
View Original Source

Our standard

Don't take our word for it.

Every material TRACE finding should lead back to the public record. That means showing where information came from, how it was interpreted, and where limitations exist.

Read Our Methodology

Evidence first

Start with the record, not the conclusion.

Traceable sources

Make important claims easy to verify.

Plain language

Explain government information without requiring insider knowledge.

Context matters

A number or document without context can mislead.

Uncertainty stays visible

Incomplete evidence should remain incomplete, not become a stronger claim.

Corrections are part of the record

When better evidence emerges, update the work transparently.

What should we trace next?

Have a government question worth investigating?

Tell us what you are trying to understand. It could involve an agency, contract, vendor, meeting, public record, decision, dataset, neighborhood, program, payment, or government outcome. Questions from people using public information help shape what TRACE investigates and builds next.

Submit a Question

Built for people who need the record.

Journalists

Find source material, supporting context, timelines, and connections worth investigating.

Residents

Understand government activity without needing to navigate dozens of systems.

Advocates

Use clearer evidence to ask better questions and support public-interest work.

Researchers

Move more efficiently between structured data and original records.

Institutions

Identify useful public information, research opportunities, and potential collaborations.

Public records deserve public clarity.

Government produces enormous amounts of information.

TRACE makes more of it usable.

Explore the Record Get Updates