How to Use the Federal Register MCP in Windsurf

Q: What is the fastest way to pull a specific agency's Federal Register documents using Windsurf?

You tell Cascade to query the Federal Register using listagencies to find the correct slug. From there, Windsurf uses getagency to retrieve the agency's metadata and filter all active documents.

Q: How do I configure this server in my Windsurf settings?

Open your mcpconfig.json file located in the Windsurf directory and add the MCP server definition under the mcpServers block. You can also use the Windsurf settings UI under Cascade to add the connection URL directly.

Track regulatory changes and federal rules directly inside Windsurf as Cascade chains multi-step compliance lookups autonomously.

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Connect Federal Register MCP to Windsurf

Create your Vinkius account to connect Federal Register 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 Federal Register with Windsurf

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Autonomous regulatory tracking with Windsurf Cascade

The Federal Register MCP Server exposes `search_documents` and `get_document` to let Cascade autonomously map out policy changes. You give Cascade a regulatory topic, and it runs the initial search, pulls the relevant document IDs, and fetches the full text without waiting for your permission between steps. Point is: Cascade uses `list_agencies` to verify the issuing authority, then cross-references the findings against `get_current_public_inspection` to catch unpublished rules.

Pre-publication monitoring in your IDE

The `get_current_public_inspection` tool gives Windsurf access to documents scheduled for official publication. Cascade monitors this queue to alert you about imminent compliance shifts before they hit the official press. If Cascade spots a relevant filing, it immediately triggers `get_public_inspection_document` to inspect the raw text. You can also have Windsurf target specific historical windows using `get_public_inspection_by_date` to reconstruct how a rule evolved.

Direct agency mapping via MCP Server

The `list_agencies` tool supplies Windsurf with the exact identifiers needed to filter massive regulatory datasets. Cascade uses these agency slugs to bypass generic searches, targeting only the specific regulatory bodies that govern your industry. Once Cascade identifies the correct agency via `get_agency`, it narrows all subsequent queries down to that single entity. This targeted approach prevents unrelated federal notices from cluttering your Windsurf workspace.

Setup guide

Set up Federal Register 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 Federal Register 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 Federal Register payment history." If connected, Cascade will call the Federal Register tools directly. You will see a green dot next to the server name in the MCP panel.

mcp_config.json

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

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Common questions about Federal Register MCP in Windsurf

Windsurf uses the server's search tools to poll the federal database. Cascade chains `get_current_public_inspection` and `search_documents` to find new filings, then pulls the full text for analysis. You get a complete summary of daily regulatory updates in one run.

Yes, Windsurf can run multi-step compliance checks autonomously. Cascade uses `get_multiple_documents` to fetch several rules at once, compares them against your local codebase, and flags potential regulatory conflicts.

You tell Cascade to query the Federal Register using `list_agencies` to find the correct slug. From there, Windsurf uses `get_agency` to retrieve the agency's metadata and filter all active documents.

Open your `mcp_config.json` file located in the Windsurf directory and add the MCP server definition under the `mcpServers` block. You can also use the Windsurf settings UI under Cascade to add the connection URL directly.

This server only retrieves public regulatory documents, agency metadata, and public inspection filings from federal APIs. No proprietary code or private Windsurf environment data is ever transmitted or stored during these read-only calls.

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