How to Use the HigherGov MCP in Claude Code

Q: How do I add the HigherGov server to Claude Code?

Run claude mcp add --transport http highergov -- . Make sure you put all your flags before the server name. The config saves to /.claude.json.

Q: How do I use saved searches in the terminal?

Pass your search ID to the agent and tell it to run searchbyid. It will fetch the predefined query results and can pipe that output into your preferred downstream tool.

Pipe federal procurement data directly into your terminal. Let Claude Code script, query, and cron government contract intelligence.

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Connect HigherGov MCP to Claude Code

Create your Vinkius account to connect HigherGov to Claude Code 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 HigherGov with Claude Code

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Headless GovCon Data Pipelines

The HigherGov tools give your terminal direct access to federal spending databases. You tell your agent to build a nightly cron job that hits `list_opportunities` for specific NAICS codes. It writes the bash script, tests the API call, and sets up the execution environment. Claude Code excels at headless operations. It takes the output from `list_contracts`, parses the JSON payload, and pipes the active award data straight into your PostgreSQL database. No browser required.

Terminal-Based Competitor Intelligence

Running `list_awardees` in your terminal delivers immediate competitor intelligence. You don't need a UI to track who wins federal money. Ask your agent to pull the latest awards for a specific vendor, and it runs `get_awardee` to dump their recent wins to stdout. From there, you can have the agent pipe that data into `jq` for filtering or write a quick Python script to calculate their average contract value. You get raw, actionable market intelligence without leaving your SSH session.

HigherGov MCP for Agency Budget Analysis

The HigherGov MCP uses `list_agencies` for deep budget analysis. Understanding agency spending requires massive data pulls, and Claude Code handles the heavy lifting. Tell it to analyze the Department of Defense's Q3 spending, and it chains the query with `get_agency` to pull the top-level numbers. When you need to drill down into specific funding vehicles, it runs `list_grants` and `get_grant` to extract the granular details. The agent compiles this into a structured CSV, ready for your data science team to ingest.

Setup guide

Set up HigherGov MCP in Claude Code

Prerequisites

Claude Code CLI installed (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Run the add command

Open your terminal and run the command shown on the right. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com. Use --scope user to make it available across all projects.
2

Verify the connection

Start a Claude Code session and type /mcp to list connected servers. You should see highergov-mcp with a green status indicator.
3

Start using tools

Ask Claude Code something like "Check my latest HigherGov transactions." It will automatically discover and invoke the available HigherGov tools.

Terminal

claude mcp add --transport http highergov-mcp https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

Get your connection token →

Prerequisites

Claude Code CLI installed
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open the config file

Create or edit .mcp.json in your project root for project-level scope, or ~/.claude.json for user-level scope.
2

Add the HigherGov 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

Restart Claude Code

Start a new Claude Code session. Type /mcp to confirm the server is connected. The tools will be automatically available in your conversation.

.mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "highergov-mcp": {
      "type": "url",
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by HigherGov. 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 HigherGov MCP in Claude Code

Run `claude mcp add --transport http highergov -- `. Make sure you put all your flags before the server name. The config saves to `~/.claude.json`.

Yes. You can instruct the agent to write a script that monitors an opportunity and uses `get_documents` to automatically pull new amendments into an S3 bucket.

Yes. Because it runs headless, you can trigger Claude Code in a GitHub Action to run `list_contracts` and update a static site with the latest federal awards.

Pass your search ID to the agent and tell it to run `search_by_id`. It will fetch the predefined query results and can pipe that output into your preferred downstream tool.

Your local secrets remain isolated. The integration only fetches public sector opportunity and contract records. The CLI requests this external data, but the zero-trust architecture ensures the connection cannot read your `.env` files or terminal history.

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