Data.gov MCP Server for Cursor 13 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
Cursor is an AI-first code editor built on VS Code that integrates LLM-powered coding assistance directly into the development workflow. Its Agent mode enables autonomous multi-step coding tasks, and MCP support lets agents access external data sources and APIs during code generation.
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{
"mcpServers": {
"datagov": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
}
}
}
* 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 Data.gov MCP Server
Connect to Data.gov and explore the US government's open data catalog through natural conversation — no API key needed.
Cursor's Agent mode turns Data.gov into an in-editor superpower. Ask Cursor to generate code using live data from Data.gov and it fetches, processes, and writes. all in a single agentic loop. 13 tools appear alongside file editing and terminal access, creating a unified development environment grounded in real-time information.
What you can do
- Dataset Search — Search 300,000+ federal datasets by keyword, organization, tags and topic
- Dataset Details — Get full metadata including descriptions, resource downloads, licenses and data dictionaries
- Browse Organizations — Explore all federal agencies publishing open data (NASA, USDA, EPA, NOAA, Census Bureau, etc.)
- Browse by Topic — Discover datasets organized by topic: agriculture, climate, education, health, finance, public safety
- Browse by Tags — Find datasets by popular tags and categories
- Resource Formats — Discover available download formats (CSV, JSON, XML, Shapefile, GeoJSON, PDF)
The Data.gov MCP Server exposes 13 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Cursor 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 Data.gov to Cursor via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the Data.gov MCP Server with Cursor.
Open MCP Settings
Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) → search "MCP Settings"
Add the server config
Paste the JSON configuration above into the mcp.json file that opens
Save the file
Cursor will automatically detect the new MCP server
Start using Data.gov
Open Agent mode in chat and ask: "Using Data.gov, help me...". 13 tools available
Why Use Cursor with the Data.gov MCP Server
Cursor AI Code Editor provides unique advantages when paired with Data.gov through the Model Context Protocol.
Agent mode turns Cursor into an autonomous coding assistant that can read files, run commands, and call MCP tools without switching context
Cursor's Composer feature can generate entire files using real-time data fetched through MCP. no copy-pasting from external dashboards
MCP tools appear alongside built-in tools like file reading and terminal access, creating a unified agentic environment
VS Code extension compatibility means your existing workflow, keybindings, and extensions all work alongside MCP tools
Data.gov + Cursor Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Cursor combined with the Data.gov MCP Server delivers measurable value.
Code generation with live data: ask Cursor to generate a security report module using live DNS and subdomain data fetched through MCP
Automated documentation: have Cursor query your API's tool schemas and generate TypeScript interfaces or OpenAPI specs automatically
Infrastructure-as-code: Cursor can fetch domain configurations and generate corresponding Terraform or CloudFormation templates
Test scaffolding: ask Cursor to pull real API responses via MCP and generate unit test fixtures from actual data
Data.gov MCP Tools for Cursor (13)
These 13 tools become available when you connect Data.gov to Cursor via MCP:
get_dataset
gov dataset by its ID or name. Returns full description, organization, tags, resource list (downloadable files), metadata dates, license info and data dictionary. Get detailed info for a specific dataset
get_group
Returns group name, description, image URL and published datasets (optional). Common groups: "agriculture", "climate", "education", "health", "finance", "public-safety". Get details for a specific topic group
get_group_datasets
Returns dataset titles, descriptions, organizations and download links. Get all datasets in a specific topic group
get_organization
gov. Returns organization name, description, contact info, image URL and published datasets (optional). Get details for a specific organization
get_organization_datasets
Returns dataset titles, descriptions, resource counts and download links. Get all datasets published by an organization
get_status
gov API including total counts of datasets, organizations, groups and tags. Get Data.gov API status and statistics
get_tag
Returns tag name, dataset count and associated datasets (up to 20). Get details for a specific tag
get_tag_datasets
Returns dataset titles, descriptions, organizations and download links. Get all datasets with a specific tag
list_groups
gov (e.g. agriculture, climate, education, health, finance). Returns group names, descriptions, image URLs and dataset counts. List all topic groups on Data.gov
list_organizations
gov. Returns organization names, descriptions, dataset counts, logos and contact info. List all organizations publishing data on Data.gov
list_resource_formats
). Useful for filtering datasets by preferred format. List all data formats available in Data.gov resources
list_tags
gov datasets. Returns tag names, dataset counts and display names. Useful for discovering common topics and filtering searches. List all tags used to categorize datasets
search_datasets
gov catalog of US federal government open datasets. Supports free-text search and filtering by organization, tags, groups. Returns dataset titles, descriptions, organizations, resource counts, tags and download links. Sort options include "metadata_modified desc" (recent), "views_recent desc" (popular). Search US government open data datasets
Example Prompts for Data.gov in Cursor
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Cursor agent to start working with Data.gov immediately.
"Search for climate change datasets."
"What datasets does NASA publish?"
"Find education datasets about student performance."
Troubleshooting Data.gov MCP Server with Cursor
Common issues when connecting Data.gov to Cursor through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
Tools not appearing in Cursor
Server shows as disconnected
Data.gov + Cursor FAQ
Common questions about integrating Data.gov MCP Server with Cursor.
What is Agent mode and why does it matter for MCP?
Where does Cursor store MCP configuration?
mcp.json file. You can configure servers at the project level (.cursor/mcp.json in your project root) or globally (~/.cursor/mcp.json). Project-level configs take precedence.Can Cursor use MCP tools in inline edits?
How do I verify MCP tools are loaded?
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Connect Data.gov to Cursor
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 13 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.