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Requesting Access

This guide walks through the end-user workflow for browsing Block datasets, submitting access requests, tracking approval, completing intake, and connecting to delivered data.

Related documentation

How to browse datasets

From the Data Library

  • Open a dataset available for Block Data. Eligible datasets show a Block Data indicator.
  • If you have Block access, select Block Data to open that dataset on the Block page.

From the Block page

  • Open Block in the main menu.
  • Datasets are grouped into:
    • My Access — approved datasets, or requests in progress after approval
    • Pending — requests still being reviewed
    • Denied — requests that were not approved
    • Available — datasets you can request

Open a dataset card to view dataset details: description, pricing, provider information, the data dictionary, and terms overview. Use the link to the Data Library from dataset details for more context on the asset.

SDK: Use client.block.list_datasets() plus helpers such as my_access(), pending(), available(), rejected(), and coming_soon() — see Block API.

Only datasets that are fully available for Block Data appear in the catalog. If you expect a dataset but do not see it, contact your Carbon Arc account team.

How to request access

In the platform

  1. On the Block page, find the dataset and choose Request Access.
  2. Order details
    • Review the information shown for the dataset (including price and evaluation period terms).
    • Review the data dictionary and linked materials in dataset details before you submit.
    • Select continue to view the approval workflow
  3. Approval routing
    • Review who will approve on your side. On standard accounts, this is your Block Administrator only.
    • On compliance-managed accounts, routing may also include Legal & Compliance (see Approval and compliance overview).
  4. Optionally add colleagues' email addresses to receive copies of notifications.
  5. Submit the request.

Via the SDK

Use client.block.request_trial() with dataset_id, optional lag, cut, and use_case to request an evaluation period. See Block API.

Approving or rejecting requests is platform only (Block Administrator / Compliance Administrator).

You will receive email updates as your request moves through each stage.

What happens after you submit

Standard Enterprise accounts

  1. Your Block Administrator reviews and approves or denies the request.
  2. Carbon Arc reviews the request.
  3. After full approval, Carbon Arc provisions account credentials for your organization.
  4. You complete intake — Return to the platform, open the approved dataset under My Access, and complete the intake form. Choose your ingestion method. Depending on your setup, you may be asked for an AWS ARN (Amazon Resource Name)—a unique identifier for your AWS account or role that your data team uses so Carbon Arc can connect delivery to the right place in your environment.
  5. Evaluation period — Your evaluation period begins on the earlier of your first data ingestion date or 30 days after Carbon Arc approval, and runs for the period shown for that request.
  6. Contract — When the evaluation period ends, access typically continues under your agreement with Carbon Arc.

Compliance-managed Enterprise accounts

  1. Your Block Administrator reviews and approves or denies the request.
  2. Legal & Compliance at your organization (if your Block workflow requires it) reviews and approves or denies—unless the dataset is preapproved by your Compliance Administrator.
  3. Carbon Arc reviews the request.
  4. Provisioning, intake, evaluation period, and contract steps proceed as above.

Track progress on the Block page, open the request timeline on pending requests, or use client.block.get_request() and client.block.request_history() in the SDK.

How to know whether access is approved

Where to lookWhat it means
PendingStill being reviewed
My AccessApproved—ready for intake, evaluation period, or active contract
DeniedRequest was not approved
Status on the dataset carde.g., awaiting Block Administrator, awaiting Compliance (compliance-managed only), Carbon Arc reviewing, provisioning, ready for intake, evaluation period active
Email notificationsKey milestones
SDKclient.block.dataset_status(), client.block.pending(), client.block.my_access()

If your request is denied

Denied requests appear in the Denied section. You will see:

  • Denials from your organization — usually with the reason provided.
  • Denials from Carbon Arc — guidance to contact your Carbon Arc representative.

To pursue access again, work with your Block Administrator or Carbon Arc account team.

How to access approved datasets

  1. Go to Block → My Access.
  2. Open the approved dataset card.
  3. Complete the intake form (ingestion method and any required details, such as an AWS ARN if your team uses AWS).
  4. After intake, connect to your data using one of the delivery methods below.

Polaris (recommended) — Iceberg REST catalog. Step-by-step setup for Snowflake, ClickHouse, and other platforms: Block Data Delivery — Polaris.

Amazon S3 — Direct file delivery: Block Data Delivery — S3. Manage ARNs in the platform or via the SDK (client.block.register_block_arns(), client.block.list_arns(), client.block.bucket_path()).

Production Block data is not downloaded in full through the platform UI—you query or ingest via Polaris or S3 per Block Data Delivery.

For lagged sample previews in the platform (up to 1,000 rows per query), use Explore Catalog on the Block page to open the SQL Editor. See Explore Sample Data.

Evaluation period timing

Your evaluation period begins on the earlier of:

  • Your first date of data ingestion (after you complete intake and data starts flowing), or
  • 30 days after Carbon Arc approval

—whichever comes first. Your evaluation period then runs for the duration shown for that request.

During the evaluation period, you work with live data delivered through your approved path (Polaris or S3). If you continue after the evaluation period ends, access transitions to your contract.

Cancelling access

  • You may request cancellation; your Block Administrator must confirm.
  • If you are in an active evaluation period and want to cancel before it auto-converts to a paid contract, you must cancel 7 or more days before the evaluation period ends. Cancellation requested within 7 days of the end date is not available, and the evaluation will convert to a contract. Contact your Block Administrator or Carbon Arc if you need an exception.