How to Use the Data.gov Catalog MCP in Windsurf

Q: Can I find all datasets from a specific agency using the Data.gov Catalog and Windsurf?

Yes. Ask Windsurf to get a list of all organizations with getorganizations. Then, tell it to search for datasets published by one of those agencies. Cascade can even chain these two steps together for you.

Let Windsurf's Cascade agent find and analyze US government data for you, from start to finish.

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Connect Data.gov Catalog MCP to Windsurf

Create your Vinkius account to connect Data.gov Catalog to Windsurf and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup Data.gov Catalog with Windsurf

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Find Datasets Without the Guesswork

The `search_datasets` tool connects your agent directly to the Data.gov catalog. Ask Windsurf to find datasets by keyword, organization, or even a geographic area. It's not just a simple search; you can filter by format, tags, and more. Cascade takes this further. You can give it a high-level goal like "find recent climate studies from NASA," and it will automatically chain commands to `get_organizations` to find NASA's ID, then run a filtered `search_datasets` query. You just get the answer.

Map Government Data with Windsurf

Use the `search_locations` tool to find specific geographic areas, from states down to counties. Your agent gets back a location ID and name, ready for the next step. This is where Windsurf shines. Tell it to "show me all environmental datasets for Travis County, Texas." Cascade will use `search_locations` to find the county's ID, then feed that into `search_datasets` to get the data, all in one go.

Trace Data Back to the Source

The `get_harvest_record` tool lets you inspect how a specific dataset was originally ingested into the catalog. You get the metadata about the source, type, and job that pulled it in. When you need the raw, untouched data, use `get_harvest_record_raw`. For the cleaned-up, standardized version, there's `get_harvest_record_transformed`. This lets your agent check data lineage without you ever leaving your editor.

Setup guide

Set up Data.gov Catalog MCP in Windsurf

Prerequisites

Windsurf IDE installed (macOS, Windows, or Linux)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open MCP configuration

Click the Cascade assistant icon in the sidebar, then click the hammer icon (🔨) at the top of the panel. Select "Configure" to open ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json.
2

Add the Data.gov Catalog MCP

Paste the JSON snippet shown on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Refresh MCPs

Go back to the hammer icon (🔨) in Cascade and click "Refresh". Windsurf will detect the new server. No full restart is needed — the connection is hot-reloaded.
4

Verify in Cascade

Start a new Cascade conversation and ask something like "Show my Data.gov Catalog payment history." If connected, Cascade will call the Data.gov Catalog tools directly. You will see a green dot next to the server name in the MCP panel.

mcp_config.json

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

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by Data.gov. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about Data.gov Catalog MCP in Windsurf

You can tell Windsurf to filter its search. Just ask it to find datasets and specify the format, like "find CSV datasets about transportation." It uses the `search_datasets` tool's filter parameters to narrow the results.

Yes. Ask Windsurf to get a list of all organizations with `get_organizations`. Then, tell it to search for datasets published by one of those agencies. Cascade can even chain these two steps together for you.

Just ask Windsurf, "what are the most used keywords?" It will use the `get_keywords` tool to pull a list of common keywords and how many datasets are tagged with each one.

This MCP Server puts the data right in your editor. You don't switch contexts. Windsurf can take the data and immediately start using it for analysis or code generation, something a browser can't do.

This server only interacts with public information from the Data.gov catalog—dataset metadata, organization names, and keywords. Your connection is sandboxed and runs in an ephemeral environment on Vinkius, secured by your single endpoint token. No private data is ever involved.

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