How do I fetch a docket from PACER?

[mlissner]

You have fetch APIs, but I'm not sure how to use them. Can you help explain a simple approach?

[mlissner]

Sure, Mike.

The general idea is that the fetch API allows you to create download tasks on our server. So you start by telling us to get the docket, and then you check to see when that is done. Once it's done, you go and get the docket. In greater detail:

1. Use fetch to make a purchase task in our system.
2. When you do the post to the fetch API, it'll give you the ID of the task.
3. Monitor that item to see when it's done, by looking at the status field.
4. Once it's done, check the docket field of the fetch result. That'll give you a docket ID.
5. Use that ID to go get the docket from the docket and/or docket_entry endpoints

And that should do it!