Do I need an API Key or registration?

No. ClinicalTrials.gov is a fully public service maintained by the US National Library of Medicine. All data is accessible without any authentication.

What types of studies can I search for?

The database covers interventional trials (testing drugs, devices, procedures), observational studies, and expanded access programs. You can search across all phases, from early Phase 1 research to post-market Phase 4 surveillance.

Is the trial recruiting status updated in real time?

The data reflects what is currently published on the ClinicalTrials.gov database. Sponsors typically update the registry directly, so you will see the latest status logged in their system.

ClinicalTrials.gov MCP Server for Windsurf 3 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: ClinicalTrials.gov
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

docs.windsurf.com/windsurf/mcp

Built by Vinkius GDPR 3 Tools IDE

Windsurf brings agentic AI coding to a purpose-built IDE. Connect ClinicalTrials.gov through Vinkius and Cascade will auto-discover every tool. ask questions, generate code, and act on live data without leaving your editor.

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The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install ClinicalTrials.gov and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "clinicaltrialsgov": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* 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 ClinicalTrials.gov MCP Server

The ClinicalTrials.gov MCP Server connects your AI agent to the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical research database — the gold standard for clinical trial transparency worldwide.

Windsurf's Cascade agent chains multiple ClinicalTrials.gov tool calls autonomously. query data, analyze results, and generate code in a single agentic session. Paste Vinkius Edge URL, reload, and all 3 tools are immediately available. Real-time tool feedback appears inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor.

Core Capabilities

Universal Trial Search — Query over 500,000 registered studies by condition, drug name, sponsor, or any keyword. Filter by recruitment status and trial phase to pinpoint exactly what matters.
Deep Trial Profiles — Retrieve full study protocols including eligibility criteria, enrollment targets, intervention details, and sponsor information for any registered trial.
Active Recruitment Finder — Dedicated tool for patients and clinicians to discover trials actively enrolling participants right now, searchable by medical condition.

Zero authentication required. Fully open public data maintained by the National Library of Medicine. Critical for pharmaceutical researchers, healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and biotech analysts.

The ClinicalTrials.gov MCP Server exposes 3 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Windsurf 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 ClinicalTrials.gov to Windsurf via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the ClinicalTrials.gov MCP Server with Windsurf.

Open MCP Settings

Go to Settings → MCP Configuration or press Cmd+Shift+P and search "MCP"

Add the server

Paste the JSON configuration above into mcp_config.json

Save and reload

Windsurf will detect the new server automatically

Start using ClinicalTrials.gov

Open Cascade and ask: "Using ClinicalTrials.gov, help me...". 3 tools available

Why Use Windsurf with the ClinicalTrials.gov MCP Server

Windsurf provides unique advantages when paired with ClinicalTrials.gov through the Model Context Protocol.

Windsurf's Cascade agent autonomously chains multiple tool calls in sequence, solving complex multi-step tasks without manual intervention

Purpose-built for agentic workflows. Cascade understands context across your entire codebase and integrates MCP tools natively

JSON-based configuration means zero code changes: paste a URL, reload, and all 3 tools are immediately available

Real-time tool feedback is displayed inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor without switching contexts

ClinicalTrials.gov + Windsurf Use Cases

Practical scenarios where Windsurf combined with the ClinicalTrials.gov MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Automated code generation: ask Cascade to fetch data from ClinicalTrials.gov and generate models, types, or handlers based on real API responses

Live debugging: query ClinicalTrials.gov tools mid-session to inspect production data while debugging without leaving the editor

Documentation generation: pull schema information from ClinicalTrials.gov and have Cascade generate comprehensive API docs automatically

Rapid prototyping: combine ClinicalTrials.gov data with Cascade's code generation to scaffold entire features in minutes

ClinicalTrials.gov MCP Tools for Windsurf (3)

These 3 tools become available when you connect ClinicalTrials.gov to Windsurf via MCP:

find_recruiting_trials

Useful for patients and healthcare providers looking for active enrollment opportunities. Find clinical trials that are actively recruiting participants for a specific medical condition

get_trial_details

Retrieve full details of a specific clinical trial by its NCT identifier

search_clinical_trials

Can filter by recruitment status and trial phase. Search the ClinicalTrials.gov database for studies by keyword, condition, drug name, or sponsor

Example Prompts for ClinicalTrials.gov in Windsurf

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Windsurf agent to start working with ClinicalTrials.gov immediately.

"Are there any clinical trials recruiting participants for Alzheimer's disease right now?"

"Show me Phase 3 trials related to breast cancer treatment."

"Get me the full details for trial NCT04280705."

Troubleshooting ClinicalTrials.gov MCP Server with Windsurf

Common issues when connecting ClinicalTrials.gov to Windsurf through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

Server not connecting

Check Settings → MCP for the server status. Try toggling it off and on.

ClinicalTrials.gov + Windsurf FAQ

Common questions about integrating ClinicalTrials.gov MCP Server with Windsurf.

How does Windsurf discover MCP tools?

Windsurf reads the mcp_config.json file on startup and connects to each configured server via Streamable HTTP. Tools are listed in the MCP panel and available to Cascade automatically.

Can Cascade chain multiple MCP tool calls?

Yes. Cascade is an agentic system. it can plan and execute multi-step workflows, calling several tools in sequence to accomplish complex tasks without manual prompting between steps.

Does Windsurf support multiple MCP servers?

Yes. Add as many servers as needed in mcp_config.json. Each server's tools appear in the MCP panel and Cascade can use tools from different servers in a single flow.