CARTO MCP Server for Vercel AI SDK 10 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
The Vercel AI SDK is the TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered applications. Connect CARTO through Vinkius and every tool is available as a typed function. ready for React Server Components, API routes, or any Node.js backend.
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Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.
import { createMCPClient } from "@ai-sdk/mcp";
import { generateText } from "ai";
import { openai } from "@ai-sdk/openai";
async function main() {
const mcpClient = await createMCPClient({
transport: {
type: "http",
// Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
url: "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp",
},
});
try {
const tools = await mcpClient.tools();
const { text } = await generateText({
model: openai("gpt-4o"),
tools,
prompt: "Using CARTO, list all available capabilities.",
});
console.log(text);
} finally {
await mcpClient.close();
}
}
main();
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
About CARTO MCP Server
Connect your CARTO platform to any AI agent and take full control of your cloud-native spatial analytics without touching the GIS interface.
The Vercel AI SDK gives every CARTO tool full TypeScript type inference, IDE autocomplete, and compile-time error checking. Connect 10 tools through Vinkius and stream results progressively to React, Svelte, or Vue components. works on Edge Functions, Cloudflare Workers, and any Node.js runtime.
What you can do
- Spatial SQL & Jobs — Command explicit SQL queries running directly against your BigQuery, Snowflake, or Redshift warehouse. Execute quick reads or spawn long-running, asynchronous batch transformations.
- Geocoding & Batching — Convert unstructured strings into precise lat/lon points. Bulk-process 100s of addresses using CARTO's native Location Data Services (LDS) gracefully.
- Isolines & Reachability — Calculate travel-time or distance polygons around origin points to instantly graph accessible zones via cars or walking.
- Routing — Generate optimal vector geometry paths connecting two points on the globe, measuring both physical distance and travel time securely.
- Data Management — Instruct your agent to list active mapping datasets or import massive external CSV/GeoJSON files directly via public URLs.
The CARTO MCP Server exposes 10 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Vercel AI SDK in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.
How to Connect CARTO to Vercel AI SDK via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the CARTO MCP Server with Vercel AI SDK.
Install dependencies
Run npm install @ai-sdk/mcp ai @ai-sdk/openai
Replace the token
Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your Vinkius token
Run the script
Save to agent.ts and run with npx tsx agent.ts
Explore tools
The SDK discovers 10 tools from CARTO and passes them to the LLM
Why Use Vercel AI SDK with the CARTO MCP Server
Vercel AI SDK provides unique advantages when paired with CARTO through the Model Context Protocol.
TypeScript-first: every MCP tool gets full type inference, IDE autocomplete, and compile-time error checking out of the box
Framework-agnostic core works with Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, or any Node.js runtime. same CARTO integration everywhere
Built-in streaming UI primitives let you display CARTO tool results progressively in React, Svelte, or Vue components
Edge-compatible: the AI SDK runs on Vercel Edge Functions, Cloudflare Workers, and other edge runtimes for minimal latency
CARTO + Vercel AI SDK Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Vercel AI SDK combined with the CARTO MCP Server delivers measurable value.
AI-powered web apps: build dashboards that query CARTO in real-time and stream results to the UI with zero loading states
API backends: create serverless endpoints that orchestrate CARTO tools and return structured JSON responses to any frontend
Chatbots with tool use: embed CARTO capabilities into conversational interfaces with streaming responses and tool call visibility
Internal tools: build admin panels where team members interact with CARTO through natural language queries
CARTO MCP Tools for Vercel AI SDK (10)
These 10 tools become available when you connect CARTO to Vercel AI SDK via MCP:
calculate_isoline
The range parameter is in seconds for time-based isolines. Returns a GeoJSON polygon representing the reachable area. Use for service area analysis, store catchment zones, and logistics planning. Generate travel-time or travel-distance isoline polygons from a center point using the CARTO LDS Isolines API, producing reachability contours showing areas accessible within a specified time or distance threshold
calculate_route
Returns the route as GeoJSON with total distance (meters) and duration (seconds). Consumes LDS routing credits. Calculate the optimal driving route between two points using the CARTO LDS Routing API, returning distance, duration, and route geometry suitable for visualization on CARTO maps
create_async_sql_job
"}`. Returns a job_id that can be polled for completion status. Use for ETL operations, materialized view refreshes, and heavy geospatial computations. The job runs in your data warehouse and results are stored there. Submit a long-running SQL query as an asynchronous batch job via the CARTO SQL Job API, suitable for heavy spatial analytics, large table transformations, and complex multi-join operations that exceed the 60-second synchronous timeout
execute_sql_query
carto.com/api/v2/sql?q=`. The query runs synchronously with a 1-minute timeout. Use for quick analytical queries, spatial joins, and data exploration. For long-running queries exceeding 60 seconds, use the async job endpoint instead. Supports PostGIS/BigQuery spatial functions natively. Execute an arbitrary SQL query against your CARTO data warehouse connection using the SQL API v2, returning results as JSON rows directly from BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift, or PostgreSQL
geocode_address
Returns latitude, longitude, and formatted address. Consumes LDS geocoding credits from your CARTO plan. Use sparingly for individual lookups; for bulk operations use the batch endpoint instead. Forward-geocode a single address string into geographic coordinates using the CARTO Location Data Services (LDS) geocoding endpoint, powered by TomTom or HERE depending on your CARTO plan configuration
geocode_batch_addresses
Designed for bulk processing of customer lists, store locators, and CRM datasets. Consumes LDS credits per address. Returns an array of geocoded results with match quality indicators. Batch-geocode multiple addresses in a single request using the CARTO LDS batch geocoding API, efficiently converting large address lists into coordinates without making individual API calls per address
get_import_status
Poll periodically until state becomes "complete" or "failure". On success, the response includes the table_name of the newly created dataset in your warehouse. Check the status of a previously initiated CARTO data import job, returning progress percentage, current state (uploading, importing, complete, failure), and any error details if the import encountered issues
import_external_file
"}`. Supports CSV, GeoJSON, Shapefile (zipped), KML, GPX, and Excel files. Returns an import_id for status tracking. The file is downloaded, parsed, and loaded into your connected data warehouse. Import an external data file (CSV, GeoJSON, Shapefile, KML) into your CARTO data warehouse by providing a publicly accessible URL, creating a new managed table that can be used for spatial analysis and visualization
list_map_datasets
Returns an array of dataset/visualization objects. Use to discover available data layers, check dataset freshness, and audit organization assets. List all visualization datasets (maps and tables) available in your CARTO organization, returning metadata including creation dates, privacy settings, table names, and row counts
poll_async_job_status
Poll periodically (every 5-10 seconds) until status changes to "done" or "failed". The response includes created_at, updated_at, and the original query for audit purposes. Check the execution status of a previously submitted CARTO async SQL job, returning the current state (pending, running, done, failed) and any error messages if the job encountered issues
Example Prompts for CARTO in Vercel AI SDK
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Vercel AI SDK agent to start working with CARTO immediately.
"Execute a SQL query limiting to 10 rows on my 'retail_stores' dataset to check the schema."
"Take these 5 addresses in Madrid and bulk geocode them to lat/lon coordinates."
"Generate a 15-minute drive-time isoline around Times Square, New York."
Troubleshooting CARTO MCP Server with Vercel AI SDK
Common issues when connecting CARTO to Vercel AI SDK through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
createMCPClient is not a function
npm install @ai-sdk/mcpCARTO + Vercel AI SDK FAQ
Common questions about integrating CARTO MCP Server with Vercel AI SDK.
How does the Vercel AI SDK connect to MCP servers?
createMCPClient from @ai-sdk/mcp and pass the server URL. The SDK discovers all tools and provides typed TypeScript interfaces for each one.Can I use MCP tools in Edge Functions?
Does it support streaming tool results?
useChat and streamText that handle tool calls and display results progressively in the UI.Connect CARTO with your favorite client
Step-by-step setup guides for every MCP-compatible client and framework:
Anthropic's native desktop app for Claude with built-in MCP support.
AI-first code editor with integrated LLM-powered coding assistance.
GitHub Copilot in VS Code with Agent mode and MCP support.
Purpose-built IDE for agentic AI coding workflows.
Autonomous AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code.
Anthropic's agentic CLI for terminal-first development.
Python SDK for building production-grade OpenAI agent workflows.
Google's framework for building production AI agents.
Type-safe agent development for Python with first-class MCP support.
TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered web applications.
TypeScript-native agent framework for modern web stacks.
Python framework for orchestrating collaborative AI agent crews.
Leading Python framework for composable LLM applications.
Data-aware AI agent framework for structured and unstructured sources.
Microsoft's framework for multi-agent collaborative conversations.
Connect CARTO to Vercel AI SDK
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 10 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.