How to Use the FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) MCP in Pydantic AI

Q: How do I configure the FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) tools in Pydantic AI?

Install pydantic-ai-slimmcp. Create an MCPToolset pointing to your HTTP endpoint, then pass it to your Agent via the toolsets parameter.

Q: Why use Pydantic AI for FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) instead of a standard HTTP client?

Runtime validation. When you call getagencycomponent, the framework guarantees the response matches your defined models. You never pass malformed government JSON deeper into your application.

Force federal FOIA data into strict type-safe models using Pydantic AI and stop hallucinating government APIs.

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Connect FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) MCP to Pydantic AI

Create your Vinkius account to connect FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) to Pydantic AI 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 FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) with Pydantic AI

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Perplexity

Type-safe agency component mapping

Government APIs notoriously change their response shapes without warning. The `list_agency_components` tool pulls the federal directory, and Pydantic AI validates every single field at runtime. If the government drops a required key, your agent throws a validation error immediately. You use `get_agency_component` to fetch specific details by UUID. Because you define the expected structure in your Pydantic models, you never end up with silent corruption. Your code either gets exactly the data it expects, or it fails loudly.

Validated FOIA request forms

Filing a public records request requires exact adherence to agency rules. The `get_agency_component_request_form` tool retrieves the specific JSON schema for a target office. Your agent reads this schema to understand what information to collect. Instead of guessing what the government wants, your system maps the required fields to strict Python types. If a user provides an integer where the form requires a string, Pydantic catches it before you ever attempt to submit the request.

Process XML reports with an MCP Server

The `get_annual_report_xml` tool fetches raw XML data directly from federal agencies. XML is inherently messy, but you can configure your agent to extract specific metrics and cast them into validated models. You tell the agent exactly what statistics matter, like average processing days or backlog counts. It reads the XML, pulls those specific numbers, and Pydantic ensures they are actually integers. You get clean, typed data out of a chaotic government report.

Setup guide

Set up FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) MCP in Pydantic AI

Prerequisites

Python 3.10+ installed
pydantic-ai-slim[fastmcp] package
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Install Pydantic AI with FastMCP
Run pip install "pydantic-ai-slim[fastmcp]". The FastMCP toolset replaces the deprecated MCPServerHTTP class with full protocol support.
2

Configure the FastMCPToolset
Pass a JSON-style config dict to FastMCPToolset with your Vinkius URL. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your token from cloud.vinkius.com. Supports Streamable HTTP, SSE, and Stdio transports.
3

Create and run your agent
Pass the toolset to Agent(toolsets=[toolset]) and call agent.run(). Swap openai:gpt-4o for any supported model — Anthropic, Google, Mistral, or Groq.

agent.py

from pydantic_ai import Agent
from pydantic_ai.toolsets.fastmcp import FastMCPToolset

toolset = FastMCPToolset({
    "mcpServers": {
        "foiagov-freedom-of-information-mcp": {
            "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
        }
    }
})

agent = Agent(
    "openai:gpt-4o",
    toolsets=[toolset],
    system_prompt="You have access to FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) tools.",
)

result = await agent.run("List recent FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) transactions")
print(result.output)

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Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by FOIA.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 FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) MCP in Pydantic AI

Install pydantic-ai-slim[mcp]. Create an MCPToolset pointing to your HTTP endpoint, then pass it to your Agent via the toolsets parameter.

Runtime validation. When you call get_agency_component, the framework guarantees the response matches your defined models. You never pass malformed government JSON deeper into your application.

Yes. The toolset supports both Streamable HTTP and SSE transports. Just make sure the server is running externally before you initialize the agent.

If your model requires that field, the agent fails loudly with a validation error. This prevents your application from silently processing incomplete annual reports.

The server only executes read operations for public resources like XML annual reports and agency lists. Vinkius manages the authentication through a single endpoint token, ensuring your internal system variables remain completely isolated from the tool execution environment.

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