GovInfo MCP Server for Windsurf 8 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
Windsurf brings agentic AI coding to a purpose-built IDE. Connect GovInfo through the Vinkius and Cascade will auto-discover every tool — ask questions, generate code, and act on live data without leaving your editor.
ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER
Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.
Vinkius Desktop App
The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install GovInfo and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.
{
"mcpServers": {
"govinfo": {
"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 GovInfo MCP Server
Connect to the official GovInfo API and empower your AI agent with direct access to official publications from all three branches of the US Federal Government. Query congressional bills, federal regulations, court opinions, and presidential documents using natural language without navigating complex government databases.
Windsurf's Cascade agent chains multiple GovInfo tool calls autonomously — query data, analyze results, and generate code in a single agentic session. Paste the Vinkius Edge URL, reload, and all 8 tools are immediately available. Real-time tool feedback appears inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor.
What you can do
- Document Discovery — List available document collections and find specific packages based on date ranges or collection codes (e.g., BILLS, FR, CHRG)
- Deep Search — Perform complex searches across the entire GovInfo database to find relevant legislative or regulatory documents
- Daily Updates — Retrieve a list of all documents officially published on a specific date
- Metadata Extraction — Get detailed summary metadata for specific packages or their sub-documents (granules)
- Contextual Relationships — Discover related documents to understand the legislative or regulatory history of a specific bill or rule
The GovInfo MCP Server exposes 8 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Windsurf 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 GovInfo to Windsurf via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the GovInfo MCP Server with Windsurf.
Open MCP Settings
Go to Settings → MCP Configuration or press Cmd+Shift+P and search "MCP"
Add the server
Paste the JSON configuration above into mcp_config.json
Save and reload
Windsurf will detect the new server automatically
Start using GovInfo
Open Cascade and ask: "Using GovInfo, help me..." — 8 tools available
Why Use Windsurf with the GovInfo MCP Server
Windsurf provides unique advantages when paired with GovInfo through the Model Context Protocol.
Windsurf's Cascade agent autonomously chains multiple tool calls in sequence, solving complex multi-step tasks without manual intervention
Purpose-built for agentic workflows — Cascade understands context across your entire codebase and integrates MCP tools natively
JSON-based configuration means zero code changes: paste a URL, reload, and all 8 tools are immediately available
Real-time tool feedback is displayed inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor without switching contexts
GovInfo + Windsurf Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Windsurf combined with the GovInfo MCP Server delivers measurable value.
Automated code generation: ask Cascade to fetch data from GovInfo and generate models, types, or handlers based on real API responses
Live debugging: query GovInfo tools mid-session to inspect production data while debugging without leaving the editor
Documentation generation: pull schema information from GovInfo and have Cascade generate comprehensive API docs automatically
Rapid prototyping: combine GovInfo data with Cascade's code generation to scaffold entire features in minutes
GovInfo MCP Tools for Windsurf (8)
These 8 tools become available when you connect GovInfo to Windsurf via MCP:
get_collection
Get packages within a collection by date range
get_granule_summary
Get summary metadata for a specific granule
get_package_summary
Get summary metadata for a specific package
get_published
Get documents published on a specific date
get_related_documents
Get documents related to a specific package
list_collections
List available document collections
list_package_granules
List granules (sub-documents) for a package
search_documents
Search documents via the GovInfo Search API
Example Prompts for GovInfo in Windsurf
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Windsurf agent to start working with GovInfo immediately.
"What collections of documents are available on GovInfo?"
"Show me the summary for the Federal Register package 'FR-2023-01-10'."
Troubleshooting GovInfo MCP Server with Windsurf
Common issues when connecting GovInfo to Windsurf through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
Server not connecting
GovInfo + Windsurf FAQ
Common questions about integrating GovInfo MCP Server with Windsurf.
How does Windsurf discover MCP tools?
mcp_config.json file on startup and connects to each configured server via Streamable HTTP. Tools are listed in the MCP panel and available to Cascade automatically.Can Cascade chain multiple MCP tool calls?
Does Windsurf support multiple MCP servers?
mcp_config.json. Each server's tools appear in the MCP panel and Cascade can use tools from different servers in a single flow.Connect GovInfo with your favorite client
Step-by-step setup guides for every MCP-compatible client and framework:
Anthropic's native desktop app for Claude with built-in MCP support.
AI-first code editor with integrated LLM-powered coding assistance.
GitHub Copilot in VS Code with Agent mode and MCP support.
Purpose-built IDE for agentic AI coding workflows.
Autonomous AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code.
Anthropic's agentic CLI for terminal-first development.
Python SDK for building production-grade OpenAI agent workflows.
Google's framework for building production AI agents.
Type-safe agent development for Python with first-class MCP support.
TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered web applications.
TypeScript-native agent framework for modern web stacks.
Python framework for orchestrating collaborative AI agent crews.
Leading Python framework for composable LLM applications.
Data-aware AI agent framework for structured and unstructured sources.
Microsoft's framework for multi-agent collaborative conversations.
Connect GovInfo to Windsurf
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 8 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.