How to Use the FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) MCP in VS Code Copilot

Q: How do we share the FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) server configuration in VS Code Copilot?

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your repository root and commit it to Git. Every developer on your team will automatically have access to the FOIA tools inside their editor.

Q: Can VS Code Copilot parse XML reports from FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information)?

Yes, the getannualreportxml tool delivers raw XML reports directly to Copilot. The AI assistant can then parse the data to extract specific agency metrics, backlogs, and processing times.

Q: What fields can I request from the agency component list?

The listagencycomponents tool supports sparse fieldsets. You can specify exactly which fields—like name, abbreviation, or submission address—you want to retrieve to keep the payload small.

Equip your engineering team with live US government FOIA schemas and agency metadata directly in VS Code Copilot.

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Connect FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) MCP to VS Code Copilot

Create your Vinkius account to connect FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) to VS Code Copilot 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 VS Code Copilot

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Align team codebases using this MCP Server

`list_agency_components` fetches the complete directory of federal offices and their unique identifiers. Your entire team can reference the exact same agency registry without keeping local text files up to date. VS Code Copilot uses this shared registry to autocomplete agency IDs and metadata across your shared workspace. It ensures consistency across your team's pull requests and database configurations.

Validate submission schemas in Copilot Chat

`get_agency_component_request_form` pulls the official JSON schema for any agency's submission portal. You verify your application's payload structure against the official government requirements before deploying. Copilot Chat compares your local request-building code with the retrieved schema to flag missing fields. This prevents broken submissions and reduces API integration errors during testing.

Extract agency processing times on demand

`get_annual_report_xml` downloads raw performance statistics directly from the FOIA API. You bypass the complex web interfaces and get straight to the raw numbers. The editor parses the XML to extract historical response rates and backlogs. This lets your team build realistic delay-prediction algorithms based on actual government performance metrics.

Setup guide

Set up FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) MCP in VS Code Copilot

Prerequisites

VS Code 1.99 or later with GitHub Copilot extension
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open MCP configuration

Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) and run "MCP: Add Server". Select HTTP (Streamable) as the server type. VS Code will create .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace.
2

Add the FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) MCP

Paste the JSON snippet shown on the right into your .vscode/mcp.json. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Switch to Agent mode

Open Copilot Chat (Cmd+Shift+I / Ctrl+Shift+I) and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown. MCP tools are only available in Agent mode — they do not appear in Edit or Ask modes.
4

Verify the connection

In the Copilot Chat input, type # to list available tools. You should see the FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) tools listed. Try asking: "List my recent FOIA.gov (Freedom of Information) transactions" and Copilot will invoke them automatically.

.vscode/mcp.json

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

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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 VS Code Copilot

Create a `.vscode/mcp.json` file in your repository root and commit it to Git. Every developer on your team will automatically have access to the FOIA tools inside their editor.

Yes, the `get_annual_report_xml` tool delivers raw XML reports directly to Copilot. The AI assistant can then parse the data to extract specific agency metrics, backlogs, and processing times.

Yes, it does. Since Vinkius handles the underlying infrastructure and authentication, you can deploy this server to your entire engineering organization with a single configuration file.

The `list_agency_components` tool supports sparse fieldsets. You can specify exactly which fields—like name, abbreviation, or submission address—you want to retrieve to keep the payload small.

The server operates in an ephemeral V8 sandbox that processes XML reports and form schemas on the fly. No sensitive agency identifiers or query parameters are written to persistent storage.

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