The NPPES data dissemination file
Every month CMS publishes a full file of every active NPI, plus weekly update files and a monthly list of deactivated NPIs. You can get them from the NPPES downloads page. The main CSV has over 300 columns and millions of rows. Unzipped it is several gigabytes, too big for Excel to open, so you need a database or a script to use it.
What people use it for
- Checking large provider rosters for billing or credentialing
- Building lists of providers by specialty and location
- Filling in missing addresses or taxonomy codes in their own systems
Easier options
If you only need some providers, you don't need the whole file:
- One provider: use the free NPI search.
- A list you already have: the bulk lookup takes up to 5,000 NPIs and returns a clean CSV.
- A list by specialty or state: we are building ready-made provider lists (for example every dentist in Texas). Join the waitlist to hear when they are ready.