ClinicalTrials Study Detail

Retrieves detailed information for a specific clinical study from ClinicalTrials.gov using its NCT ID. Supports JSON or CSV output and optional control over markup fields and returned field selection. Returns both the raw result content and a small metadata summary.

Usage

Use this node when you have a specific NCT ID and need the full detail record of that study. Typical workflows include validating search results, extracting protocol details, or generating reports. Choose JSON for structured data processing; select CSV if you need a flat textual representation.

Inputs

Field	Required	Type	Description	Example
nct_id	True	STRING	The NCT identifier of the study to retrieve. Must be a valid ClinicalTrials.gov NCT ID.	NCT04000165
format	True	SELECT	Output format of the response content. JSON provides structured data; CSV provides a comma-separated text.	json
markupFormat	True	SELECT	Controls how markup-type fields are returned. Use 'markdown' for modern formatting or 'legacy' for older styles.	markdown
fields	False	STRING	Optional, comma-separated list of specific fields to include in the response. Leave empty to return the default set.	NCTId,BriefTitle,OverallStatus,StudyType,Condition

Outputs

Field	Type	Description	Example
results	STRING	The retrieved study detail. When format=json, this is a JSON string; when format=csv, this is CSV text.	{ "apiVersion": "2.0", "studies": [ ... ] }
metadata	STRING	A JSON string with basic metadata about the request/response, such as nct_id, format, apiVersion (for JSON), or content_length (for CSV).	{ "nct_id": "NCT04000165", "format": "json", "api_version": "2.0" }

Important Notes

• NCT ID required: You must supply a valid ClinicalTrials.gov NCT identifier (e.g., NCT01234567).
• Output depends on format: With format=json, results is a JSON string and metadata includes api_version. With format=csv, results is CSV text and metadata includes content_length.
• Field filtering: Use the fields input to limit the response to specific fields; provide them as a comma-separated list.
• Markup handling: markupFormat affects only markup-type fields within the JSON response; it has no effect when format=csv.
• External API: This node queries ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 and is subject to network availability and any API-side constraints.
• Timeouts and errors: Network timeouts are set; on error, both outputs may contain a JSON string with an error field.

Troubleshooting

• Invalid NCT ID: Ensure the NCT ID is correctly formatted (e.g., NCT followed by digits). If the study is not found, the response may be empty or contain an error message.
• Network error: If you see '{"error": "Network error"}', check your internet connectivity or retry later; the API may be temporarily unavailable.
• JSON decode error: If you receive '{"error": "JSON decode error"}', switch to CSV or retry; this can occur if the API returns malformed JSON.
• Unexpected empty fields: If certain fields are missing, confirm your fields list is valid. Remove fields to get the default set and verify field names.
• Large CSV output: For CSV format, review metadata.content_length to gauge size. If too large, narrow the fields selection.