---
title: "Reference Lookup"
method: GET
path: "/reference/lookup"
tags: ["sections"]
---

# Reference Lookup

`GET /reference/lookup`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.3gppscout.com` (the document declares no server; this is the origin it was published from)
- URL: `https://api.3gppscout.com/reference/lookup`
- Auth: none declared

Look up a cause value, timer, or information element or message directly, with clause, version and official link.

Recognizes cause values of 5GMM and 5GSM (TS 24.501), EMM and ESM (TS 24.301), GMM, SM and MM (TS 24.008),
GTPv2-C (TS 29.274) and PFCP (TS 29.244); NAS timers (T3xxx and T3xx) in TS 24.501, TS 24.301 and TS 24.008;
and information elements and messages by name in TS 24.501, TS 24.301, TS 24.008, TS 29.274, TS 29.244,
TS 38.413 (NGAP) and TS 36.413 (S1AP). A cause value without a protocol is answered from each NAS table that
has it.

Each entry is the defining table row (cause meaning, or timer value, default, state, start, stop, expiry and
the notes the row refers to) or, for an IE or message, its clause, with doc_number, section_number, version,
release, citation, official_url and provenance. `recognized` is null when the question is not such a
lookup; use search_text then. Up to 3 entries, best first.

## Query parameters

- `q` string, required: The question as asked, e.g. '5GMM cause #7', 'T3512 default' or 'UE security capability IE'.
- `release` string, nullable: Answer from the newest indexed version of this release, e.g. 'Rel-18'. Omit for the newest indexed version.

## Response `200`

Successful Response

- ReferenceLookupResponse
  - `query` string, required
  - `recognized` Recognized
    - `kind` string, required: cause, timer or definition (an information element or message name).
    - `key` string, nullable: The cause value as #n, or the timer name.
    - `value` integer, nullable
    - `family` string, nullable: Cause family: 5GMM, 5GSM, EMM, ESM, GMM, SM, MM, GTPv2-C or PFCP.
    - `specs` string[], nullable: Specs the question names by number or protocol.
    - `release` string, nullable
  - `entries` ReferenceEntry[], required
    - `kind` string, required: cause, timer, ie or message.
    - `label` string, nullable: What was looked up, e.g. '5GMM cause #7' or 'T3512'.
    - `name` string, nullable: The cause meaning, the timer name, or the IE or message name.
    - `family` string, nullable
    - `protocol` string, nullable
    - `value` union: The cause value, or the timer's value cell as written.
      - integer
      - string
    - `value_range` string, nullable: The range row a cause value falls in, e.g. '20 to 63'.
    - `default` string, nullable: The timer's default value when the table gives one.
    - `details` object, nullable: Other columns of a cause row (message type, description).
    - `fields` object, nullable: The timer row by column: value, state, start, stop, expiry.
    - `notes` object, nullable: Table notes the row refers to.
    - `other_rows` object[], nullable
    - `table` string, nullable: The table the row is in.
    - `row` string, nullable: The table row as stored.
    - `text` string, nullable: The IE or message clause text (first entry only).
    - `doc_number` string, nullable
    - `doc_type` string, nullable
    - `version` string, nullable
    - `release` string, nullable
    - `section_number` string, nullable
    - `section_title` string, nullable
    - `citation` string, nullable
    - `official_url` string, nullable
    - `provenance` object, nullable
    - `truncated` boolean, nullable
    - `next_step` string, nullable
  - `note` string, nullable
  - `elapsed_ms` integer, required

## Other responses

- `422`: Validation Error

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/3gppscout/apis/3gpp-scout-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/3gppscout/apis/3gpp-scout-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/3gppscout/apis/3gpp-scout-api/revisions/60bd6896e5b9?raw)