EDGAR, the "Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system", is the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission's (SEC) searchable database of financial information about publicly owned companies. It performs automated collection, validation, indexing, acceptance, and forwarding of submissions by companies and others who are required by law to file forms with the U.S. SEC. Its primary purpose is to increase the efficiency and fairness of the securities market for the benefit of investors, corporations, and the economy by accelerating the receipt, acceptance, dissemination, and analysis of time-sensitive corporate information filed with the agency.

The service currently supports two types of access:

1. Web Browser (used by most visitors to the site),
2. Anonymous FTP (used primarily by those who download filings in bulk).