Form PRE 14A Dataset — Preliminary Proxy Statements

The Form PRE 14A Dataset contains every preliminary proxy statement filed on EDGAR from 1994 to the present — over 230,000 filings totaling approximately 19 GB and growing daily. Each record preserves the complete original filing package for one PRE 14A submission, including the full filing text, HTML documents, embedded images (JPG, GIF), and exhibits, while excluding XBRL attachments and standalone XBRL/XML files. The dataset is updated daily, survivorship-bias-free, and covers all entity types that submit preliminary proxy materials on EDGAR: public operating companies, shell companies, SPACs, REITs, closed-end funds, business development companies, and other registrants or soliciting persons subject to the federal proxy rules under Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Form PRE 14A is the EDGAR submission type for preliminary proxy materials filed pursuant to Regulation 14A, including Rule 14a-6 (governing the timing of preliminary versus definitive filings) and Schedule 14A (Rule 14a-101, specifying required disclosures). A registrant must file preliminary proxy materials with the SEC at least ten calendar days before mailing definitive materials to shareholders, unless the solicitation involves only routine matters that qualify for the Rule 14a-6(b) exemption. The PRE 14A is thus a draft submitted for potential SEC staff review before the corresponding DEF 14A is filed and distributed. This dataset is designed for proxy research, corporate governance analysis, executive compensation studies, event-driven investment workflows, compliance review, and LLM or retrieval systems that require the complete original content of preliminary proxy filings.

Update Frequency
Daily
Updated at
2026-04-10
Earliest Sample Date
1994-01-01
Total Size
19.7 GB
Total Records
236,571
Container Format
ZIP
Content Types
TXT, JSON, HTML, GIF, JPG
Form Types
PRE 14A

Dataset APIs

Programmatically retrieve the full list of dataset archive files, download URLs and dataset metadata.

Dataset Index JSON API

Download the entire dataset as a single archive file.

Download Entire Dataset:

Download a single container file (e.g. monthly archive) from the dataset.

Download Single Container:

Dataset Files

388 files · 19.7 GB
Download All
2026-04.zip139.0 MB1,228 records
2026-03.zip1.3 GB8,452 records
2026-02.zip121.2 MB839 records
2026-01.zip93.8 MB545 records
2025-12.zip172.4 MB944 records
2025-11.zip130.5 MB734 records
2025-10.zip102.1 MB672 records
2025-09.zip92.4 MB701 records
2025-08.zip187.0 MB642 records
2025-07.zip70.3 MB625 records
2025-06.zip72.9 MB470 records
2025-05.zip108.2 MB741 records
2025-04.zip695.9 MB4,984 records
2025-03.zip1.4 GB9,605 records
2025-02.zip150.7 MB1,494 records
2025-01.zip182.9 MB746 records
2024-12.zip154.1 MB792 records
2024-11.zip83.1 MB538 records
2024-10.zip81.9 MB586 records
2024-09.zip80.4 MB651 records
2024-08.zip79.5 MB620 records
2024-07.zip113.1 MB1,055 records
2024-06.zip136.1 MB1,222 records
2024-05.zip71.9 MB576 records
2024-04.zip727.9 MB6,361 records
2024-03.zip877.9 MB9,891 records
2024-02.zip215.8 MB2,325 records
2024-01.zip69.0 MB644 records
2023-12.zip48.4 MB563 records
2023-11.zip67.4 MB735 records
2023-10.zip56.1 MB600 records
2023-09.zip60.0 MB603 records
2023-08.zip76.3 MB662 records
2023-07.zip131.1 MB608 records
2023-06.zip91.3 MB742 records
2023-05.zip136.4 MB873 records
2023-04.zip892.9 MB6,073 records
2023-03.zip950.7 MB8,351 records
2023-02.zip141.3 MB1,390 records
2023-01.zip74.0 MB605 records
2022-12.zip34.1 MB419 records
2022-11.zip65.5 MB472 records
2022-10.zip95.7 MB592 records
2022-09.zip43.6 MB500 records
2022-08.zip100.7 MB491 records
2022-07.zip71.7 MB456 records
2022-06.zip61.9 MB592 records
2022-05.zip49.7 MB524 records
2022-04.zip381.8 MB3,674 records
2022-03.zip489.3 MB4,772 records
2022-02.zip94.3 MB980 records
2022-01.zip13.6 MB280 records
2021-12.zip29.6 MB319 records
2021-11.zip15.2 MB187 records
2021-10.zip111.2 MB434 records
2021-09.zip29.7 MB378 records
2021-08.zip31.0 MB385 records
2021-07.zip28.5 MB424 records
2021-06.zip54.0 MB540 records
2021-05.zip17.8 MB275 records
2021-04.zip382.8 MB3,141 records
2021-03.zip327.3 MB4,271 records
2021-02.zip158.8 MB1,016 records
2021-01.zip16.1 MB271 records
2020-12.zip27.0 MB271 records
2020-11.zip37.2 MB407 records
2020-10.zip71.6 MB439 records
2020-09.zip23.2 MB417 records
2020-08.zip35.4 MB301 records
2020-07.zip27.6 MB311 records
2020-06.zip40.0 MB431 records
2020-05.zip36.0 MB518 records
2020-04.zip201.5 MB2,508 records
2020-03.zip271.6 MB3,596 records
2020-02.zip123.2 MB1,112 records
2020-01.zip20.2 MB241 records
2019-12.zip42.4 MB359 records
2019-11.zip23.2 MB298 records
2019-10.zip25.5 MB323 records
2019-09.zip31.7 MB459 records
2019-08.zip9.8 MB164 records
2019-07.zip21.2 MB250 records
2019-06.zip36.2 MB256 records
2019-05.zip36.3 MB404 records
2019-04.zip141.1 MB1,802 records
2019-03.zip250.5 MB3,568 records
2019-02.zip52.8 MB712 records
2019-01.zip8.6 MB162 records
2018-12.zip32.2 MB284 records
2018-11.zip16.3 MB146 records
2018-10.zip14.4 MB221 records
2018-09.zip24.2 MB480 records
2018-08.zip34.7 MB562 records
2018-07.zip13.3 MB285 records
2018-06.zip34.5 MB328 records
2018-05.zip22.1 MB341 records
2018-04.zip107.2 MB1,873 records
2018-03.zip266.3 MB3,849 records
2018-02.zip49.7 MB790 records
2018-01.zip48.8 MB225 records
2017-12.zip10.2 MB196 records
2017-11.zip15.8 MB314 records
2017-10.zip21.8 MB345 records
2017-09.zip14.9 MB253 records
2017-08.zip22.1 MB256 records
2017-07.zip23.8 MB365 records
2017-06.zip13.5 MB245 records
2017-05.zip25.3 MB423 records
2017-04.zip70.0 MB1,358 records
2017-03.zip222.5 MB3,231 records
2017-02.zip48.0 MB611 records
2017-01.zip10.6 MB204 records
2016-12.zip33.5 MB341 records
2016-11.zip13.3 MB166 records
2016-10.zip25.1 MB393 records
2016-09.zip20.5 MB353 records
2016-08.zip21.4 MB288 records
2016-07.zip11.0 MB233 records
2016-06.zip18.2 MB275 records
2016-05.zip15.5 MB334 records
2016-04.zip106.0 MB1,449 records
2016-03.zip186.0 MB3,320 records
2016-02.zip41.8 MB701 records
2016-01.zip45.4 MB230 records
2015-12.zip19.4 MB416 records
2015-11.zip4.8 MB156 records
2015-10.zip21.6 MB297 records
2015-09.zip17.4 MB331 records
2015-08.zip14.5 MB326 records
2015-07.zip20.9 MB462 records
2015-06.zip12.5 MB304 records
2015-05.zip15.0 MB245 records
2015-04.zip64.9 MB1,175 records
2015-03.zip152.0 MB2,385 records
2015-02.zip24.4 MB655 records
2015-01.zip52.9 MB443 records
2014-12.zip16.0 MB381 records
2014-11.zip10.3 MB241 records
2014-10.zip12.8 MB316 records
2014-09.zip13.5 MB308 records
2014-08.zip10.7 MB266 records
2014-07.zip12.1 MB272 records
2014-06.zip21.8 MB303 records
2014-05.zip19.9 MB342 records
2014-04.zip57.9 MB1,131 records
2014-03.zip90.6 MB2,024 records
2014-02.zip29.9 MB733 records
2014-01.zip24.8 MB316 records
2013-12.zip17.1 MB447 records
2013-11.zip15.8 MB248 records
2013-10.zip11.6 MB243 records
2013-09.zip10.7 MB215 records
2013-08.zip8.8 MB221 records
2013-07.zip8.3 MB248 records
2013-06.zip10.7 MB241 records
2013-05.zip15.8 MB308 records
2013-04.zip48.2 MB1,110 records
2013-03.zip86.1 MB2,221 records
2013-02.zip19.4 MB440 records
2013-01.zip9.7 MB272 records
2012-12.zip24.4 MB371 records
2012-11.zip14.0 MB233 records
2012-10.zip13.0 MB271 records
2012-09.zip12.9 MB299 records
2012-08.zip8.0 MB152 records
2012-07.zip16.0 MB213 records
2012-06.zip10.4 MB295 records
2012-05.zip10.1 MB241 records
2012-04.zip53.6 MB848 records
2012-03.zip72.9 MB1,849 records
2012-02.zip17.0 MB575 records
2012-01.zip7.2 MB166 records
2011-12.zip5.5 MB203 records
2011-11.zip5.1 MB122 records
2011-10.zip10.2 MB453 records
2011-09.zip9.7 MB277 records
2011-08.zip6.8 MB227 records
2011-07.zip6.5 MB244 records
2011-06.zip13.3 MB398 records
2011-05.zip10.4 MB240 records
2011-04.zip30.1 MB797 records
2011-03.zip58.6 MB1,713 records
2011-02.zip20.8 MB597 records
2011-01.zip5.9 MB132 records
2010-12.zip11.4 MB250 records
2010-11.zip5.9 MB191 records
2010-10.zip17.0 MB539 records
2010-09.zip10.2 MB297 records
2010-08.zip8.5 MB216 records
2010-07.zip8.6 MB234 records
2010-06.zip9.8 MB273 records
2010-05.zip16.5 MB389 records
2010-04.zip32.7 MB804 records
2010-03.zip71.2 MB2,224 records
2010-02.zip27.2 MB723 records
2010-01.zip8.4 MB251 records
2009-12.zip11.9 MB339 records
2009-11.zip9.2 MB240 records
2009-10.zip9.6 MB247 records
2009-09.zip19.7 MB549 records
2009-08.zip17.5 MB267 records
2009-07.zip19.5 MB410 records
2009-06.zip13.5 MB422 records
2009-05.zip13.6 MB316 records
2009-04.zip47.9 MB1,142 records
2009-03.zip75.3 MB2,225 records
2009-02.zip20.8 MB588 records
2009-01.zip10.8 MB299 records
2008-12.zip8.0 MB272 records
2008-11.zip13.4 MB390 records
2008-10.zip10.6 MB294 records
2008-09.zip16.1 MB471 records
2008-08.zip7.5 MB261 records
2008-07.zip34.2 MB443 records
2008-06.zip32.6 MB435 records
2008-05.zip9.7 MB291 records
2008-04.zip30.0 MB933 records
2008-03.zip33.2 MB1,215 records
2008-02.zip19.7 MB640 records
2008-01.zip5.8 MB190 records
2007-12.zip38.9 MB369 records
2007-11.zip19.8 MB309 records
2007-10.zip7.1 MB225 records
2007-09.zip8.4 MB268 records
2007-08.zip22.6 MB785 records
2007-07.zip6.1 MB178 records
2007-06.zip9.7 MB294 records
2007-05.zip7.2 MB236 records
2007-04.zip20.6 MB595 records
2007-03.zip28.0 MB1,153 records
2007-02.zip10.9 MB527 records
2007-01.zip7.7 MB232 records
2006-12.zip6.6 MB280 records
2006-11.zip4.2 MB154 records
2006-10.zip7.2 MB244 records
2006-09.zip8.4 MB227 records
2006-08.zip10.2 MB342 records
2006-07.zip7.8 MB256 records
2006-06.zip6.4 MB246 records
2006-05.zip10.5 MB328 records
2006-04.zip20.8 MB741 records
2006-03.zip33.9 MB1,361 records
2006-02.zip13.3 MB566 records
2006-01.zip6.8 MB177 records
2005-12.zip6.8 MB219 records
2005-11.zip7.4 MB137 records
2005-10.zip12.0 MB269 records
2005-09.zip8.4 MB252 records
2005-08.zip9.8 MB245 records
2005-07.zip7.8 MB273 records
2005-06.zip9.1 MB214 records
2005-05.zip28.0 MB390 records
2005-04.zip18.7 MB594 records
2005-03.zip31.6 MB1,166 records
2005-02.zip10.1 MB459 records
2005-01.zip5.3 MB164 records
2004-12.zip5.1 MB150 records
2004-11.zip5.3 MB164 records
2004-10.zip6.1 MB180 records
2004-09.zip5.0 MB160 records
2004-08.zip5.8 MB181 records
2004-07.zip6.4 MB206 records
2004-06.zip7.2 MB289 records
2004-05.zip6.8 MB213 records
2004-04.zip19.8 MB665 records
2004-03.zip22.4 MB801 records
2004-02.zip7.8 MB341 records
2004-01.zip4.6 MB148 records
2003-12.zip6.5 MB182 records
2003-11.zip3.5 MB124 records
2003-10.zip6.5 MB212 records
2003-09.zip3.8 MB123 records
2003-08.zip5.0 MB157 records
2003-07.zip5.5 MB199 records
2003-06.zip5.8 MB180 records
2003-05.zip7.7 MB246 records
2003-04.zip13.3 MB468 records
2003-03.zip13.9 MB553 records
2003-02.zip7.3 MB264 records
2003-01.zip4.8 MB151 records
2002-12.zip3.5 MB114 records
2002-11.zip5.0 MB153 records
2002-10.zip4.0 MB140 records
2002-09.zip4.5 MB149 records
2002-08.zip4.8 MB147 records
2002-07.zip5.9 MB194 records
2002-06.zip7.8 MB248 records
2002-05.zip6.9 MB265 records
2002-04.zip13.6 MB488 records
2002-03.zip11.8 MB463 records
2002-02.zip4.0 MB161 records
2002-01.zip1.8 MB61 records
2001-12.zip2.0 MB74 records
2001-11.zip2.5 MB86 records
2001-10.zip2.9 MB100 records
2001-09.zip2.9 MB97 records
2001-08.zip4.5 MB141 records
2001-07.zip4.4 MB156 records
2001-06.zip4.2 MB145 records
2001-05.zip5.8 MB177 records
2001-04.zip12.0 MB353 records
2001-03.zip10.2 MB330 records
2001-02.zip4.4 MB158 records
2001-01.zip3.3 MB121 records
2000-12.zip2.0 MB71 records
2000-11.zip3.3 MB100 records
2000-10.zip3.4 MB107 records
2000-09.zip3.8 MB109 records
2000-08.zip4.1 MB124 records
2000-07.zip4.3 MB130 records
2000-06.zip4.9 MB146 records
2000-05.zip7.1 MB192 records
2000-04.zip12.1 MB328 records
2000-03.zip12.3 MB390 records
2000-02.zip5.1 MB150 records
2000-01.zip2.4 MB69 records
1999-12.zip3.5 MB93 records
1999-11.zip2.2 MB69 records
1999-10.zip4.5 MB111 records
1999-09.zip3.8 MB129 records
1999-08.zip3.0 MB102 records
1999-07.zip4.2 MB115 records
1999-06.zip2.9 MB93 records
1999-05.zip4.7 MB150 records
1999-04.zip11.2 MB350 records
1999-03.zip12.3 MB391 records
1999-02.zip5.4 MB158 records
1999-01.zip2.9 MB95 records
1998-12.zip4.0 MB103 records
1998-11.zip3.1 MB88 records
1998-10.zip4.1 MB121 records
1998-09.zip3.8 MB95 records
1998-08.zip2.7 MB89 records
1998-07.zip4.1 MB121 records
1998-06.zip3.7 MB107 records
1998-05.zip6.3 MB184 records
1998-04.zip12.7 MB390 records
1998-03.zip12.8 MB444 records
1998-02.zip6.3 MB213 records
1998-01.zip2.3 MB84 records
1997-12.zip3.0 MB92 records
1997-11.zip3.1 MB90 records
1997-10.zip4.4 MB132 records
1997-09.zip3.9 MB114 records
1997-08.zip3.9 MB117 records
1997-07.zip2.9 MB95 records
1997-06.zip2.8 MB76 records
1997-05.zip4.1 MB135 records
1997-04.zip10.5 MB332 records
1997-03.zip12.5 MB407 records
1997-02.zip7.5 MB225 records
1997-01.zip2.3 MB87 records
1996-12.zip2.6 MB85 records
1996-11.zip2.6 MB74 records
1996-10.zip3.6 MB129 records
1996-09.zip3.9 MB130 records
1996-08.zip3.7 MB125 records
1996-07.zip3.8 MB107 records
1996-06.zip4.5 MB125 records
1996-05.zip4.8 MB143 records
1996-04.zip5.4 MB169 records
1996-03.zip8.0 MB272 records
1996-02.zip4.3 MB150 records
1996-01.zip2.3 MB65 records
1995-12.zip1.9 MB66 records
1995-11.zip1.6 MB42 records
1995-10.zip1.3 MB39 records
1995-09.zip2.1 MB56 records
1995-08.zip1.2 MB42 records
1995-07.zip989.7 KB38 records
1995-06.zip2.9 MB79 records
1995-05.zip1.7 MB48 records
1995-04.zip2.4 MB71 records
1995-03.zip4.7 MB160 records
1995-02.zip2.5 MB74 records
1995-01.zip454.1 KB14 records
1994-12.zip574.1 KB16 records
1994-11.zip446.1 KB12 records
1994-10.zip402.3 KB13 records
1994-09.zip648.1 KB20 records
1994-08.zip2.0 MB45 records
1994-07.zip598.3 KB16 records
1994-06.zip385.4 KB10 records
1994-05.zip6.2 MB106 records
1994-04.zip3.0 MB67 records
1994-03.zip3.8 MB121 records
1994-02.zip2.6 MB74 records
1994-01.zip393.2 KB16 records

What This Dataset Contains

Each record in the dataset is one complete Form PRE 14A filing package as submitted to EDGAR, corresponding to a single accession number. The dataset is organized into 369 monthly ZIP containers named YYYY-MM.zip (e.g., 2025-07.zip). Inside each ZIP, a top-level directory named after the month (2025-07/) contains one subfolder per filing, named using the accession number in digits-only format (e.g., 000149315225011519). Each filing folder contains a metadata.json file with structured filing metadata, the primary HTML or HTM proxy document (file names vary by filer, e.g., formpre14a.htm, corner_pre14a.htm), and any embedded image files (JPG, GIF) such as logos, charts, and proxy cards. XBRL attachments and standalone XBRL/XML files are excluded. The unit of observation is one filing submission, not one proxy solicitation campaign, one agenda item, or one issuer-year. A single issuer may have multiple PRE 14A accessions in the same year if it revises preliminary materials, files for separate meetings, or submits additional soliciting materials under the same form type.

1 2025-07.zip
2 └── 2025-07/
3 ├── 000149315225011519/
4 │ ├── formpre14a.htm (primary proxy document, HTML)
5 │ ├── formpre14a_001.jpg (embedded graphic)
6 │ └── metadata.json (filing metadata)
7 ├── 000147793225005366/
8 │ ├── corner_pre14a.htm
9 │ └── metadata.json
10 └── ...

Because it is preliminary, the PRE 14A may contain bracketed placeholders, incomplete dates, draft share counts, or placeholder language that will be finalized in the definitive version. Cover pages frequently carry a legend such as "PRELIMINARY COPIES — SUBJECT TO COMPLETION." The SEC staff may issue comment letters requesting revisions, and the registrant may file amended preliminary proxy statements before the definitive filing. The content requirements are identical to those for the definitive proxy statement: both must comply with Schedule 14A (Rule 14a-101). The difference is procedural — PRE 14A is filed for review; DEF 14A is the version actually sent to shareholders.

Content Structure of a Single Record

Each filing folder contains a metadata.json file and the original filing documents. The metadata.json provides structured fields including accessionNo (the SEC accession number, e.g., "0001493152-25-011519"), cik, ticker, companyName, companyNameLong, formType (always "PRE 14A"), description, filedAt (ISO 8601 timestamp), periodOfReport, and URL fields linkToFilingDetails, linkToTxt, linkToHtml, and linkToXbrl. A documentFormatFiles array lists every document in the filing package with its sequence, size, documentUrl, description, and type. An entities array provides entity-level details including cik, companyName, sic, stateOfIncorporation, fiscalYearEnd, act, fileNo, irsNo, and filmNo. The id field contains a unique MD5 hash for each record.

The primary proxy document (the HTM/HTML file in the filing folder) contains the following layers, encountered in roughly this order within the EDGAR submission.

EDGAR filing header. The outermost wrapper is the SGML/text header block EDGAR affixes to every submission. It contains structured metadata: form type (PRE 14A), the filer's Central Index Key (CIK), company name, SIC code, IRS employer identification number, state of incorporation, fiscal year end, filing date, accession number, and a document index listing each file within the submission. This header is preserved in the dataset as part of the full filing text.

Cover page. The proxy statement opens with a cover page identifying the registrant, the date and location of the meeting, the record date for determining entitled shareholders, and the proxy statement date. Preliminary filings typically display a prominent legend indicating the filing is subject to completion. The cover page states whether the solicitation is made on behalf of the board of directors or another party.

Notice of meeting. The notice specifies the date, time, and place (or virtual meeting URL and access instructions) of the annual or special meeting, the record date, and a summary of the matters to be voted upon — such as election of directors, ratification of auditors, approval of an equity compensation plan, advisory vote on executive compensation, or approval of a merger or other extraordinary transaction.

Voting and proxy procedures (Schedule 14A, Items 1–4). Describes who is soliciting the proxy, the method and cost of solicitation, revocability of proxies, voting procedures and quorum requirements, the classes of securities entitled to vote, the record date, shares outstanding, the treatment of abstentions and broker non-votes, and how shareholders may submit proxies by internet, telephone, or mail.

Election of directors (Schedule 14A, Item 7; Regulation S-K, Item 401). Biographical information for each nominee: name, age, principal occupation, business experience for at least the past five years, directorships at other public companies, board committee memberships, independence status under applicable exchange listing standards, tenure, and the specific experience, qualifications, attributes, or skills that led the board to conclude each nominee should serve as a director (required since 2010 under Release No. 33-9089).

Corporate governance. Board leadership structure (combined or separated chair/CEO roles), the board's role in risk oversight, board meeting frequency and attendance, standing committee composition and charters (audit, compensation, nominating/governance), director independence determinations, the process for shareholder communications with the board, and director attendance policies. The 2009 proxy disclosure enhancements mandated specific discussion of leadership structure and risk oversight.

Ratification of independent auditors (Schedule 14A, Item 9). Identifies the independent registered public accounting firm, discloses aggregate fees paid in the two most recent fiscal years broken into audit fees, audit-related fees, tax fees, and all other fees, describes the audit committee's pre-approval policies, and states whether representatives of the firm will attend the meeting.

Audit committee report (Item 407(d) of Regulation S-K). States whether the audit committee reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements with management, discussed required matters with the independent auditors, received written independence disclosures, and recommended inclusion of the audited financial statements in the annual report. This report is deemed "furnished" rather than "filed."

Executive compensation (Schedule 14A, Item 8; Regulation S-K, Items 402 and 407). The most extensive section of most proxy statements, encompassing the following components under the post-2006 disclosure regime:

  • Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A). A principles-based narrative discussing compensation philosophy, objectives, elements (base salary, annual bonus, long-term incentives, equity awards, retirement benefits, perquisites), performance targets, benchmarking, compensation consultant use, and policies on clawbacks, hedging, pledging, and stock ownership guidelines. Required since fiscal years ending on or after December 15, 2006 (Release No. 33-8732A). The CD&A is filed (not furnished) and subject to CEO and CFO certification.
  • Summary Compensation Table. Total compensation for each named executive officer (NEO) for the last three completed fiscal years: salary, bonus, stock awards, option awards, non-equity incentive plan compensation, change in pension value and nonqualified deferred compensation earnings, all other compensation, and total.
  • Grants of Plan-Based Awards, Outstanding Equity Awards, Option Exercises and Stock Vested, Pension Benefits, and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation tables. Detailed tabular disclosures covering equity and non-equity incentive plan awards, unexercised options and unvested stock awards, exercises and vestings during the fiscal year, pension benefit present values, and deferred compensation balances.
  • Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control. Narrative and tabular disclosure quantifying payments and benefits each NEO would receive under various termination scenarios, including accelerated equity vesting, severance, and benefit continuation.
  • CEO Pay Ratio. Required for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2017 (Release No. 33-9877). Reports the ratio of CEO annual total compensation to median employee annual total compensation.
  • Pay Versus Performance. Required beginning with proxy statements for fiscal years ending on or after December 16, 2022 (Release No. 34-95607). Tabular disclosure linking compensation actually paid to cumulative TSR, peer group TSR, net income, and a company-selected financial performance measure.
  • Director Compensation Table. Compensation of each non-employee director for the last fiscal year.

Security ownership (Schedule 14A, Item 6; Regulation S-K, Item 403). Tables showing shares beneficially owned by each director, nominee, NEO, all directors and officers as a group, and each known beneficial owner of more than five percent of any class of voting securities.

Related-party transactions (Regulation S-K, Item 404). Transactions exceeding $120,000 in which the registrant was a participant and a related person had a direct or indirect material interest, plus the registrant's policies for reviewing and approving such transactions.

Shareholder proposals (Rule 14a-8). Any proposal submitted by a shareholder for inclusion appears verbatim with its supporting statement, together with the board's opposing statement (if any). Common topics include environmental and social disclosures, board declassification, elimination of supermajority voting, independent board chair, lobbying and political spending disclosure, and special meeting rights. The 2020 amendments to Rule 14a-8 revised ownership and resubmission thresholds.

Other proposals requiring shareholder approval. Depending on the agenda: equity compensation plan approvals or amendments, say-on-pay frequency, merger or acquisition approval, charter amendments, reverse stock splits, or other matters requiring a shareholder vote.

Proxy card. Some PRE 14A filings include a draft proxy card as a separate document listing each voting matter with response options and instructions for internet and telephone voting. In the preliminary version, the proxy card may be marked as a draft.

What the Dataset Excludes

XBRL attachments and standalone XBRL/XML files are excluded from the filing package. The dataset does not include the corresponding definitive proxy statement (DEF 14A) — PRE 14A and DEF 14A are separate EDGAR submissions with distinct accession numbers. Content incorporated by reference from other filings (e.g., portions of the registrant's Form 10-K) is also not included.

Historical Variation in Content and Format

Pre-2006 compensation disclosure. Before the 2006 reforms (Release No. 33-8732A), executive compensation appeared in a different tabular structure: a Summary Compensation Table with columns for salary, bonus, other annual compensation, restricted stock awards, securities underlying options/SARs, LTIP payouts, and all other compensation; separate Option/SAR Grants and Aggregated Option/SAR Exercises tables; and a Long-Term Incentive Plan Awards table. There was no CD&A; instead, the compensation committee provided a narrative "Board Compensation Committee Report on Executive Compensation" (furnished, not filed).

2006 overhaul. Introduced the CD&A, restructured compensation tables into the current format, added detailed termination/change-in-control payment disclosure, and required the director compensation table.

2009 proxy disclosure enhancements. Added director-specific qualifications and skills disclosure, mandatory discussion of board leadership structure and risk oversight, compensation consultant disclosure, and expanded related-party transaction requirements.

2011 say-on-pay frequency. Dodd-Frank Section 951 required advisory votes on executive compensation and say-on-pay frequency beginning with the first annual meeting after January 21, 2011.

2018 CEO pay ratio. First disclosures appeared in proxy statements filed in early 2018 for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2017.

2022 universal proxy cards. Mandatory use of universal proxy cards in contested director elections for meetings held after August 31, 2022 (Release No. 34-93596).

2023 pay-versus-performance. Required beginning with proxy statements for fiscal years ending on or after December 16, 2022 (Release No. 34-95607).

Format evolution. Filings from 1994 through approximately 2002–2003 are predominantly plain-text ASCII. From the early 2000s onward, HTML became dominant, with increasingly complex styling, multi-document structures, and embedded images. Filing complexity and HTML quality vary substantially by filer size and filing agent.

Who Files Form PRE 14A and When

Who files

Form PRE 14A is filed by any person who solicits proxies, consents, or authorizations from holders of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, where the solicitation is subject to Section 14(a) and Regulation 14A. The vast majority of filings come from the registrant (the issuer whose securities are being voted on), but the proxy rules apply to any soliciting party. Dissident shareholder groups, acquiring companies seeking target shareholder approval, and other third-party solicitors also file PRE 14A when conducting their own Section 14(a) solicitations.

The registrant population spans domestic operating companies (NYSE, Nasdaq, and other exchange-listed issuers, plus Section 12(g) registrants), SPACs and shell companies, REITs, closed-end investment companies, business development companies, and master limited partnerships, statutory trusts, and other non-corporate entities with Section 12-registered securities.

Foreign private issuers are exempt from the Section 14(a) proxy rules under Exchange Act Rule 3a12-3(b) and do not file PRE 14A. They furnish shareholder meeting materials on Form 6-K instead. Open-end mutual funds and unit investment trusts without exchange-listed equity are likewise outside the Section 14(a) framework; their proxy solicitations follow Investment Company Act rules and use different form types.

When preliminary filing is required

Rule 14a-6(a) requires preliminary proxy materials to be filed with the SEC at least 10 calendar days before definitive materials are first sent to security holders. This window allows Division of Corporation Finance staff to review the disclosure and issue comments before shareholders receive it.

Rule 14a-6(b) exempts solicitations that involve only routine matters from this preliminary filing requirement. The exempt categories are: uncontested director elections, ratification of the independent auditor, and advisory say-on-pay and say-on-frequency votes. This exemption is lost if the proxy statement includes even one shareholder proposal submitted under Rule 14a-8. When the exemption applies, the registrant skips PRE 14A and files DEF 14A directly — such routine solicitations do not appear in this dataset.

A PRE 14A filing is required when the solicitation involves any non-routine matter, including contested director elections, mergers, acquisitions and business combinations (including de-SPAC transactions), charter or bylaw amendments, equity compensation plan approvals or amendments, Rule 14a-8 shareholder proposals, going-private transactions, and liquidation or dissolution proposals. A registrant may also voluntarily file PRE 14A for routine solicitations.

Filing cadence and timing

PRE 14A filings are event-driven, not periodic. Annual-meeting-related filings cluster in January through April for calendar-year-end companies, with meetings concentrated in April through June. The typical sequence is: PRE 14A filed on EDGAR, at least 10 calendar days for SEC staff review, then DEF 14A filed and distributed to shareholders. Special meetings for event-driven proposals — a pending merger, a charter amendment, a share issuance authorization — can produce PRE 14A filings at any point in the year.

The SEC staff reviews PRE 14A filings selectively; complex or unusual proposals are more likely to draw comments, which can extend the gap between preliminary and definitive filing to several weeks. If the staff comments, the registrant may file a revised preliminary proxy (PRER14A) before proceeding to DEF 14A.

How It Differs from Similar Datasets and Filings

The PRE 14A dataset sits within a cluster of proxy-related EDGAR submission types that share Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Schedule 14A as their regulatory foundation. They differ in regulatory stage, disclosure trigger, filing party, or solicitation mechanism.

DEF 14A (Definitive Proxy Statement). The definitive version of the same Schedule 14A document. PRE 14A is filed with the SEC for staff review before shareholder distribution; DEF 14A is the final version actually mailed to shareholders. The two share the same structure and subject matter, but their text can diverge — sometimes substantially — when SEC comment letters prompt revisions to compensation discussion, proposal descriptions, or risk factor language. Most governance research uses DEF 14A. Research on the SEC review process or disclosure evolution requires PRE 14A.

PRER14A (Revised Preliminary Proxy Statement). A second or subsequent preliminary draft filed after the SEC staff comments on the original PRE 14A. It exists only when staff feedback prompts a revised preliminary filing before clearance. The PRE 14A dataset captures the initial preliminary submission; PRER14A captures intermediate revisions.

PREM14A (Preliminary Merger Proxy Statement). A preliminary proxy filed specifically for mergers, acquisitions, or other extraordinary transactions requiring shareholder approval. PRE 14A covers the full range of proxy solicitations; PREM14A is restricted to business combinations and carries heavier transaction-specific content — fairness opinions, deal terms, financial projections, and transaction background.

PRE 14C (Preliminary Information Statement). Filed under Section 14(c) and Regulation 14C when corporate action is taken by written consent rather than by shareholder vote. Because no vote is solicited, PRE 14C is an information statement, not a proxy statement — it lacks proxy cards, voting instructions, and solicitation language.

PREC14A / DEFC14A (Consent Solicitation Materials). Proxy materials used to actively solicit written consents from shareholders, typically in adversarial contexts such as activist campaigns to replace board members outside a formal meeting. Often filed by dissident shareholders or activist investors rather than by the issuer.

DEFA14A / DFAN14A (Additional Soliciting Materials). Supplemental proxy communications — press releases, shareholder letters, investor presentations — filed as each new communication is distributed during a solicitation. These are not standalone proxy statements; they are ancillary to the main PRE 14A or DEF 14A filing.

DimensionPRE 14AMost Relevant Contrast
Regulatory stagePreliminary draft, pre-reviewDEF 14A: final version distributed to shareholders
Disclosure triggerAll proxy solicitations (routine and special)PREM14A: transaction-specific only
Solicitation mechanismVote solicitation at a meetingPRE 14C: information statement, no vote solicited
Filing partyOverwhelmingly the issuerPREC14A/DFAN14A: often dissident shareholders or activists
Document scopeFull Schedule 14A filingDEFA14A/DFAN14A: supplemental communications only
Revision sequenceInitial preliminary filingPRER14A: revised preliminary after SEC comments

Who Uses This Dataset

Preliminary proxy statements matter because they precede the definitive filing, giving professionals an early look at proposals, compensation disclosures, and governance changes before they are finalized.

Proxy advisory analysts. Firms like ISS and Glass Lewis use PRE 14A filings to draft voting recommendations before the definitive proxy is mailed. The early filing window lets analysts evaluate director nominees, say-on-pay resolutions, equity plan amendments, and governance charter changes on a compressed timeline. The preliminary version specifically matters because advisory teams need lead time to publish recommendations to institutional subscribers before the shareholder meeting.

Corporate governance analysts. Governance teams at asset managers, pension funds, and research firms track board composition, anti-takeover provisions, majority-voting policies, and bylaw amendments across the public company universe. They extract from director nominee tables, committee descriptions, and governance charter sections. The 30-year archive supports longitudinal studies of governance trends such as board declassification and proxy access adoption.

Executive compensation analysts. Compensation consultants and institutional pay analysts extract data from the CD&A narrative, Summary Compensation Table, Grants of Plan-Based Awards, Outstanding Equity Awards, pay-versus-performance disclosures, and CEO pay ratio figures. PRE 14A filings deliver this data days or weeks before the definitive proxy, which matters during peak proxy season when benchmarking reports and say-on-pay risk assessments must be produced on tight deadlines.

Activist investors and event-driven funds. These teams monitor preliminary proxies for early signals of contested elections, dissident director slates, shareholder proposals on capital allocation, and transaction-related solicitations. The preliminary version is the first public disclosure of contest terms, giving funds time to build positions, prepare engagement strategies, or draft their own solicitation materials.

Securities lawyers. Disclosure counsel uses the dataset to review PRE 14A filings against Schedule 14A requirements. A primary workflow is diffing the preliminary filing against the later definitive version to identify changes driven by SEC staff comments. Lawyers also benchmark peer disclosure practices for related-party transactions, compensation narratives, and merger fairness discussions.

M&A diligence teams. Investment bankers review PRE 14A filings containing shareholder votes on share issuances, asset sales, and related-party transactions. They focus on background-of-the-transaction sections, fairness opinion summaries, board recommendation language, and vote thresholds.

Academic researchers. Finance, accounting, and legal scholars use the full 1994-to-present archive for empirical work on proxy disclosure, voting behavior, governance evolution, and executive pay. The dataset's survivorship-bias-free coverage and inclusion of all entity types support panel studies and textual analysis that would be incomplete with large-cap-only samples.

Data engineers and NLP teams. Engineering teams parse the HTML and text content at scale to extract structured fields: director names, committee memberships, compensation figures, proposal types, and voting standards. The ZIP packaging with original HTML formatting supports bulk ingestion pipelines without per-filing EDGAR retrieval, and the full filing packages serve as training and evaluation corpora for retrieval and question-answering systems.

Use Cases

Diffing preliminary against definitive proxy statements to detect SEC comment-driven revisions

Pair each PRE 14A accession with its corresponding DEF 14A filing (matched by CIK and solicitation period) and run text-diff analysis across the CD&A narrative, proposal descriptions, and related-party transaction disclosures. Changes between versions often reflect SEC staff comment letters requesting revised or expanded disclosure. This workflow supports empirical research on SEC review intensity and helps securities lawyers benchmark how peers respond to comment-letter topics such as performance-target specificity or perquisite categorization.

Extracting board nominee biographies to build a director-interlocks database

Parse the election-of-directors sections to extract each nominee's name, age, principal occupation, five-year business history, other public-company board seats, committee memberships, and independence status. Linking nominees across CIKs and filing years produces a longitudinal network of director interlocks spanning 1994 to the present, supporting governance research on board connectivity, identification of over-boarded directors, and compliance screening for compensation committee interlocks under Item 407(e).

Monitoring say-on-pay and equity plan amendments during early proxy season

Scan PRE 14A filings as they appear on EDGAR to identify advisory vote on executive compensation proposals, equity compensation plan approvals, and plan amendments before the definitive version is distributed. Extract the plan share reserve, dilution figures, award types, and board recommendation text. Proxy advisory firms and institutional voting teams use this early signal to draft voting recommendations weeks before the shareholder meeting date.

Tracking shareholder proposal topics and resubmission patterns over three decades

Extract each Rule 14a-8 shareholder proposal, classify it by topic (environmental disclosure, board declassification, political spending, special meeting rights, independent chair), and record the board's recommendation. Linking proposals across years and issuers maps resubmission trajectories and measures how vote support evolves. The 1994-to-present span captures the full lifecycle of governance reform campaigns and the impact of Rule 14a-8 ownership and resubmission threshold changes.

Building structured compensation datasets from proxy filing tables

Parse the Summary Compensation Table, Grants of Plan-Based Awards, and Outstanding Equity Awards tables from HTML-formatted filings to extract salary, bonus, stock awards, option awards, non-equity incentive plan compensation, and total pay for each named executive officer. For post-2022 filings, extract pay-versus-performance tables linking compensation actually paid to cumulative TSR, peer TSR, and net income. The resulting structured dataset supports peer-group benchmarking, pay-for-performance alignment studies, and CEO pay ratio trend analysis.

Detecting contested election signals and activist campaigns at the preliminary stage

Flag PRE 14A filings where the soliciting party is not the registrant's board of directors, or where the filing discloses a dissident director slate, competing nominee list, or vote-no campaign. Extract the soliciting party identity, proposed nominees, stated rationale, and any exhibits such as consent solicitation letters. Event-driven funds and corporate defense teams use these early signals to assess contest dynamics, build engagement strategies, or evaluate litigation exposure before the definitive proxy is filed.

Dataset Access

Dataset Index JSON API: https://api.sec-api.io/datasets/form-pre-14a-content.json

This endpoint returns metadata about the dataset, including its name, description, last updated timestamp, earliest sample date, total records, total size, form types covered, container format, file types, the download URL for the entire dataset, and a list of all individual container files with their size, record count, updated timestamp, and download URL. Use this endpoint to monitor which containers have been updated in the most recent daily refresh. No API key is required.

Example
1 {
2 "datasetId": "1f129c87-2e9a-69b0-b8be-a61d061e6238",
3 "datasetDownloadUrl": "https://api.sec-api.io/datasets/form-pre-14a-content.zip",
4 "name": "Form PRE 14A Filings - Preliminary Proxy Statements",
5 "updatedAt": "2026-03-28T08:43:38.000Z",
6 "earliestSampleDate": "1994-01-01",
7 "totalRecords": 234639,
8 "totalSize": 19460735990,
9 "formTypes": ["PRE 14A"],
10 "containerFormat": "ZIP",
11 "fileTypes": ["TXT", "HTML", "JPG", "GIF"],
12 "containers": [
13 {
14 "downloadUrl": "https://api.sec-api.io/datasets/form-pre-14a-content/2026/2026-03.zip",
15 "key": "2026/2026-03.zip",
16 "size": 13818783,
17 "records": 154,
18 "updatedAt": "2026-03-28T08:43:38.000Z"
19 }
20 ]
21 }

Download Entire Dataset: https://api.sec-api.io/datasets/form-pre-14a-content.zip?token=YOUR_API_KEY

Downloads the full dataset as a single archive containing all container files. Requires an API key.

Download Single Container: https://api.sec-api.io/datasets/form-pre-14a-content/2026/2026-03.zip?token=YOUR_API_KEY

Downloads one individual container file (e.g., a monthly archive). Each container is a ZIP file packaging the original EDGAR filing content, including TXT, HTML, JPG, and GIF files. Requires an API key.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between PRE 14A and DEF 14A? PRE 14A is the preliminary proxy statement filed with the SEC for staff review at least 10 calendar days before the definitive version is distributed to shareholders. DEF 14A is the final, definitive proxy statement actually mailed to shareholders. Content may differ between the two if the SEC staff issues comments or the registrant makes voluntary revisions. This dataset contains only PRE 14A filings.

Why would a company not file a PRE 14A? Rule 14a-6(b) exempts solicitations that involve only routine matters — uncontested director elections, auditor ratification, and advisory say-on-pay votes — from the preliminary filing requirement, provided no shareholder proposals under Rule 14a-8 are included. Companies meeting these conditions file DEF 14A directly, bypassing the preliminary stage entirely.

Does this dataset include merger proxy statements? Merger-specific preliminary proxy statements are filed under the PREM14A form type, not PRE 14A, and are not included in this dataset. However, some PRE 14A filings do contain proposals for transactions requiring shareholder approval (such as asset sales or share issuances) when the filing covers a broader meeting agenda that also includes non-merger matters.

What file formats are in each ZIP container? Each ZIP contains the original EDGAR filing package: TXT files (especially for older filings from the mid-1990s through early 2000s), HTML files (dominant from approximately 2003 onward), and image files (JPG, GIF) such as logos, performance graphs, and governance charts. XBRL and standalone XML files are excluded.

How far back does the dataset go? The dataset covers filings from January 1994 to the present. Earlier filings (1994–2002) are predominantly plain-text ASCII. HTML formatting became dominant from the early 2000s onward.

Are foreign private issuers included? No. Foreign private issuers are exempt from the Section 14(a) proxy rules under Exchange Act Rule 3a12-3(b) and do not file PRE 14A. They furnish shareholder meeting materials on Form 6-K instead.

How often is the dataset updated? The dataset is updated daily to include newly filed PRE 14A submissions on EDGAR.

Can I use this dataset to track changes between preliminary and definitive proxy versions? Yes. By pairing PRE 14A records with corresponding DEF 14A filings (matched by CIK and filing period), you can run text-diff analysis to identify substantive changes, which often reflect SEC staff comments or voluntary issuer revisions.