National Archives Catalog MCP Server for WindsurfGive Windsurf instant access to 40 tools to Create Comment, Create Tag, Create Transcription, and more
GDPR Free for SubscribersWindsurf brings agentic AI coding to a purpose-built IDE. Connect National Archives Catalog through 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 for Windsurf
The National Archives Catalog MCP Server for Windsurf is a standout in the Knowledge Management category — giving your AI agent 40 tools to work with, ready to go from day one.
Vinkius delivers Streamable HTTP and SSE to any MCP client
Gemini{
"mcpServers": {
"national-archives-catalog": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
}
}
}Vinkius Desktop App
The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install National Archives Catalog and 4,000+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.
* 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 National Archives Catalog MCP Server
Connect to the National Archives Catalog (NARA) and explore the history of the United States through natural conversation. This MCP server allows your AI agent to act as a specialized research assistant, retrieving historical data, metadata, and digital objects from one of the world's largest archival collections.
Windsurf's Cascade agent chains multiple National Archives Catalog tool calls autonomously. query data, analyze results, and generate code in a single agentic session. Paste Vinkius Edge URL, reload, and all 40 tools are immediately available. Real-time tool feedback appears inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor.
What you can do
- Deep Search — Query records by text, tags, comments, or transcriptions to find specific historical context and documents.
- Record Hierarchy — Navigate complex archival structures by retrieving immediate children of specific parent records (NaId).
- User Contributions — Manage and search through tags, comments, and transcriptions provided by the citizen archivist community.
- Metadata Retrieval — Get detailed information, status metrics, and descriptions for specific National Archives Identifiers.
- Tagging & Interaction — Create or delete tags and comments to organize research findings directly within the catalog ecosystem.
The National Archives Catalog MCP Server exposes 40 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Windsurf in under two minutes — credentials fully managed, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.
All 40 National Archives Catalog tools available for Windsurf
When Windsurf connects to National Archives Catalog through Vinkius, your AI agent gets direct access to every tool listed below — spanning historical-records, nara, archives, and more. Every call runs in a secure, isolated environment with full audit visibility. Beyond a simple connection, you get real-time monitoring of agent activity, enterprise governance, and optimized token usage.
Create comment on National Archives Catalog
Add a new comment to a record
Create tag on National Archives Catalog
Add a new tag to a record
Create transcription on National Archives Catalog
Add a new transcription
Delete comment on National Archives Catalog
Remove or deactivate a comment
Delete contributions on National Archives Catalog
Deactivate or remove multiple contributions
Delete tag on National Archives Catalog
Remove or deactivate a tag
Fetch coords on National Archives Catalog
Utility to fetch JSON data from S3 based on a provided URL
Get announcements on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve a list of all announcements
Get comment on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve a single comment by ID
Get comments by naid on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve comments for a specific record
Get comments by userid on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve comments by a specific contributor
Get contributions by target naid on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve contributions for a specific record ID
Get contributions by userid on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve contributions by user ID
Get justifications on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve a list of justifications for administrative actions
Get latest announcements on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve active announcements
Get record children on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve immediate children of a specified parent ID
Get record stats on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve statistics on user contributions
Get tag on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve a single tag by ID
Get tags by naid on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve tags for a specific record
Get tags by userid on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve tags by a specific contributor
Get transcription on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve a single transcription by ID
Get transcription history on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve transcription history
Get transcriptions by naid on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve transcriptions for a specific record
Get transcriptions by userid on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve transcriptions by a specific contributor
Get user on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve public data for a specific user
Get user notifications on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve user notifications
Get users on National Archives Catalog
Retrieve public account data (filterable by email, username, role, etc.)
Search comments on National Archives Catalog
Search for comment data
Search contributions on National Archives Catalog
Search for contribution data
Search records on National Archives Catalog
Search for records using URL parameters
Search records by comment on National Archives Catalog
Search records by comments
Search records by contribution on National Archives Catalog
Search records related to user contributions
Search records by tag on National Archives Catalog
Search records by tags
Search records by text on National Archives Catalog
Search records by other extracted text
Search records by transcription on National Archives Catalog
Search records by transcriptions
Search tags on National Archives Catalog
Search for tag data
Search transcriptions on National Archives Catalog
Search for transcription data
Update comment on National Archives Catalog
Update an existing comment
Update transcription on National Archives Catalog
Add or update a transcription
Update user on National Archives Catalog
Update user information
Connect National Archives Catalog to Windsurf via MCP
Follow these steps to wire National Archives Catalog into Windsurf. The entire setup takes under two minutes — your credentials stay safe behind Vinkius.
Open MCP Settings
Cmd+Shift+P and search "MCP"Add the server
mcp_config.jsonSave and reload
Start using National Archives Catalog
Why Use Windsurf with the National Archives Catalog MCP Server
Windsurf provides unique advantages when paired with National Archives Catalog 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 40 tools are immediately available
Real-time tool feedback is displayed inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor without switching contexts
National Archives Catalog + Windsurf Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Windsurf combined with the National Archives Catalog MCP Server delivers measurable value.
Automated code generation: ask Cascade to fetch data from National Archives Catalog and generate models, types, or handlers based on real API responses
Live debugging: query National Archives Catalog tools mid-session to inspect production data while debugging without leaving the editor
Documentation generation: pull schema information from National Archives Catalog and have Cascade generate comprehensive API docs automatically
Rapid prototyping: combine National Archives Catalog data with Cascade's code generation to scaffold entire features in minutes
Example Prompts for National Archives Catalog in Windsurf
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Windsurf agent to start working with National Archives Catalog immediately.
"Search for records related to the 'Apollo 11 mission'."
"Get the immediate children of parent record 573036."
"Find all tags associated with record NaId 123456."
Troubleshooting National Archives Catalog MCP Server with Windsurf
Common issues when connecting National Archives Catalog to Windsurf through Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
Server not connecting
National Archives Catalog + Windsurf FAQ
Common questions about integrating National Archives Catalog 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.Explore More MCP Servers
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