Contract Pulse is an independent educational website. It is not FPDS, SAM.gov, GSA, or a government service. GSA confirms that public-facing FPDS functionality has transitioned to SAM.gov. It decommissioned ezSearch on February 24, 2026, and directs award researchers to SAM.gov. Use the official transition page to reach current services; this website does not operate a replacement award database. Open the official FPDS-to-SAM information page.
Define the question before opening a search
A useful research question contains a subject, date window, unit of analysis, and intended decision. “What agencies buy our services?” is a starting thought. “Which awarding offices recorded relevant service-contract actions during the last two completed fiscal years?” is an actionable question. Write that sentence in your notes and keep it visible while you search.
For a fictional example, Juniper Research wants to understand who buys building-inspection services. Its first task is not to collect the largest possible dollar figure. The researcher creates a small plan: official source, selected date range, contract-only scope, likely keywords, related codes to investigate, and the fields needed for follow-up. This plan makes the search reproducible even if the interface changes.
Use the public research path
GSA says a SAM.gov account is needed to view Contract Awards search results, but no specific role is required for public data. Its page distinguishes public searching from federal users' award-management functions. Choose the research function appropriate to your purpose rather than assuming a government management screen is needed to inspect public awards. Check official account and access guidance.
- Start from the official transition page or SAM.gov.
- Record the search date and the selected data domain.
- Begin with a narrow question and a small set of filters.
- Inspect several individual results before trusting an aggregate.
- Save the filter choices and exported-file names with your notes.
- Return to the official record when a claim matters to a decision.
Rebuild a saved-search notebook
Use a short notebook entry for each recurring question. Include the business question, selected filters, field meanings, exclusions, and the next review date. Copy exact code values and record whether you searched by awarding or funding organization. If a later session produces different results, the notebook gives you a starting point for explaining the difference.
Juniper's researcher discovers that an old bookmark leads through a redirect and an old training slide names controls that no longer appear. She keeps the slide as historical context but rebuilds the process from the current official page. Her new notebook records the current route and the actual filters used, without presenting an old screenshot as proof of today's interface.
Keep research and monitoring distinct
A checked export is a dated snapshot. It is not a live feed, a new-opportunity alert, or proof that an agency will buy the same service again. Use this site's guides to improve the questions you ask, and use official systems for the records themselves. Finish each research session with one supported observation, one limitation, and one concrete follow-up.
Official sources & further reading
Sources checked for this edition: October 26, 2026. Recheck the current source and applicable contract before acting.
Keep the next step concrete
Use the working tool to capture your assumptions, supporting sources, and the decision that still needs review.