How to Use the USAspending (Federal Spending) MCP in Claude

Q: How do I search for specific awards using USAspending (Federal Spending) and Claude Desktop?

To start, use searchspendingbyaward. You can filter the results by criteria like agency or recipient name right in your chat. The MCP Server returns a filtered list of matching federal grants.

Q: Can Claude Desktop help me analyze USAspending (Federal Spending) data by category?

Yes. The searchspendingbycategory tool lets your AI client filter awards based on specific categories like CFDA or agency type. This makes it easy to compare spending across different sectors.

Q: Which tools can I use in Claude Desktop for bulk data downloads related to USAspending (Federal Spending)?

You'll want to use downloadsearch or bulkdownloadawards. These functions generate ZIP files that contain all the raw award, subaward, and transaction data you need for offline analysis.

Q: Does the MCP Server support checking recipient details using USAspending (Federal Spending) in Claude Desktop?

Absolutely. Use getrecipient to pull specific details on an individual recipient by name or ID. If you have a unique identifier, running getrecipientchildren will give you related entities.

Query US Federal Spending data directly using your AI client in Claude Desktop.

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Connect USAspending (Federal Spending) MCP to Claude Desktop

Create your Vinkius account to connect USAspending (Federal Spending) to Claude Desktop 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 USAspending (Federal Spending) with Claude Desktop

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Track Agency Obligations with the MCP Server.

Need to know what big agencies are spending? You can use `get_agency_awards` to get a summary of transactions and obligations for any agency. It's quick, giving you a clear view of their current financial commitments. Alternatively, check out `get_disaster_overview`. This lets your AI client pull together insights on how much money agencies are receiving for emergency funding across the board.

Get Deep Award Details.

Don't just look at totals. To understand a specific award, call `get_award`. This gets all the details about that single grant. You can then pair this with `get_subawards` to see every sub-agency involved in the parent award. Want to know where the money is coming from? Use `get_award_funding` to map out federal accounts and agency funding sources for any given transaction.

Explore Spending by Geography.

You can't just look at numbers; you need context. Running `search_spending_by_geography` lets your AI client show spending patterns broken down by state, county, or even congressional district. It maps out who gets the money and where. Need to see trends over years? Use `search_spending_over_time`. This aggregates transaction amounts so you can spot how federal spending shifts year after year.

Setup guide

Set up USAspending (Federal Spending) MCP in Claude Web or Desktop

1

Open Claude Settings

Go to claude.ai, click your profile icon, then navigate to Customize → Connectors.
2

Add Custom Connector

Click the "+" button and select Add custom connector. Paste your Vinkius endpoint URL: https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your token from cloud.vinkius.com. For OAuth-protected servers, expand Advanced settings to add credentials.
3

Start a conversation

Open a new chat. The USAspending (Federal Spending) MCP tools are available immediately — no restart needed.

Endpoint URL

https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

No configuration file needed — paste the URL directly in the Claude web interface.

Available on Free (1 connector), Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.

Prerequisites

Claude Desktop installed (macOS or Windows)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open Claude Desktop Settings

Click the menu icon at the top-left corner, go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config. This opens claude_desktop_config.json in your default text editor.
2

Paste the USAspending (Federal Spending) MCP configuration

Copy the JSON snippet on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen the application. Claude needs a full restart to load new MCPs — refreshing a conversation is not enough.
4

Verify the connection

Open a new conversation. Click the 🔌 icon at the bottom of the message input. You should see tools listed under usaspending-federal-spending-mcp.

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "usaspending-federal-spending-mcp": {
      "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 USAspending. 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 USAspending (Federal Spending) MCP in Claude Desktop

To start, use `search_spending_by_award`. You can filter the results by criteria like agency or recipient name right in your chat. The MCP Server returns a filtered list of matching federal grants.

This server deals with public financial records, specifically award and transaction amounts, agency names, and recipient UEIs. It does not handle private personal identifying information.

Yes. The `search_spending_by_category` tool lets your AI client filter awards based on specific categories like CFDA or agency type. This makes it easy to compare spending across different sectors.

You'll want to use `download_search` or `bulk_download_awards`. These functions generate ZIP files that contain all the raw award, subaward, and transaction data you need for offline analysis.

Absolutely. Use `get_recipient` to pull specific details on an individual recipient by name or ID. If you have a unique identifier, running `get_recipient_children` will give you related entities.

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