Bring Public Policy
to VS Code Copilot
Create your Vinkius account to connect Federal Register API to VS Code Copilot and start using all 4 AI tools in minutes. Fully managed, enterprise secure, and ready to use without writing a single line of code. No hosting, no server setup — just connect and start using.
GDPR Free for SubscribersCompatible with every major AI agent and IDE
Gemini
What is the Federal Register API MCP Server?
Empower your AI agent to orchestrate your entire public policy research and document auditing workflow with the Federal Register API, the authoritative source for United States government rules and notices. By connecting the Federal Register to your agent, you transform complex administrative searches into a natural conversation. Your agent can instantly retrieve active document details, audit agency publications, and query specific rule metadata without you ever touching a government portal. Whether you are conducting regulatory research or managing regional policy constraints, your agent acts as a real-time administrative consultant, ensuring your data is always verified and precise.
What you can do
- Document Auditing — Search for thousands of public documents and rules by keyword and retrieve detailed metadata, including publication dates and agencies.
- Agency Oversight — Audit all US government agencies that publish in the Federal Register to understand the administrative reach of public sector rules instantly.
- Rule Discovery — Query specific document numbers to assist in deep-dive regulatory and temporal classification.
- Metadata Intelligence — Retrieve unique document identifiers and HTML links to assist in professional policy auditing.
- Operational Monitoring — Check API status to ensure your document research workflow is always operational.
How it works
- Subscribe to this server
- No API Key required (Federal Register is a free and open service)
- Start managing your administrative intelligence through Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client
Who is this for?
- Policy Analysts & Journalists — monitor government notices and retrieve official metadata straight from your workflow.
- Legal Researchers — verify public rules and audit agency patterns without manual searching.
- Regulatory Leads — perform rapid audits of administrative markers and identify relevant policy patterns through natural language.
- Operations Leads — automate government data querying to orchestrate cross-functional outreach teams smoothly.
Built-in capabilities (4)
Check if the Federal Register service is operational
Get full metadata and HTML links for a specific federal document
List all government agencies that publish in the Federal Register
Search for public documents and rules in the Federal Register
Why VS Code Copilot?
GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings Federal Register API data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 4 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.
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VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor
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Project-scoped MCP configs (
.vscode/mcp.json) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access - —
Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop
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GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services
Federal Register API in VS Code Copilot
Why run Federal Register API with Vinkius?
The Federal Register API connection runs on our fully managed, secure cloud infrastructure. We handle the hosting, maintenance, and security so you don't have to deal with servers or code. All 4 tools are ready to work instantly without any complex setup.
You stay in complete control of your data. Your AI only accesses the information you approve, keeping your sensitive passwords and private details completely safe. Plus, with automatic optimizations, your AI works faster and more efficiently.
* Every connection is hosted and maintained by Vinkius. We handle the security, updates, and infrastructure so you don't have to write code or manage servers. See our infrastructure
Over 4,000 integrations ready for AI agents
Explore a vast library of pre-built integrations, optimized and ready to deploy.
Connect securely in under 30 seconds
Generate tokens to authenticate and link external services in a single step.
Complete visibility into every agent action
Audit live requests, latency, success rates, and active security compliance policies.
Optimize spending and track token ROI
Analyze real-time token consumption and cost metrics detailed by connection.
Explore our live AI Agents Analytics dashboard to see it all working
This dashboard is included when you connect Federal Register API using Vinkius. You will never be left in the dark about what your AI agents are doing with your tools.
Federal Register API and 4,000+ other AI tools. No hosting, no code, ready to use.
Professionals who connect Federal Register API to VS Code Copilot through Vinkius don't need to write code, manage servers, or worry about security. Everything is pre-configured, secure, and runs automatically in the background.
Raw MCP | Vinkius | |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-to-use MCPs | Find and configure each manually | 4,000+ MCPs ready to use |
| Connection Setup | Manual coding & server setup | 1-click instant connection |
| Server Hosting | You host it yourself (needs 24/7 uptime) | 100% hosted & managed by Vinkius |
| Security & Privacy | Stored in plaintext config files | Bank-grade encrypted vault |
| Activity Visibility | Blind execution (no logs or tracking) | Live dashboard with real-time logs |
| Cost Control | Runaway AI token spend risk | Automatic budget limits |
| Revoking Access | Must delete files or code to stop | 1-click disconnect button |
How Vinkius secures
Federal Register API for VS Code Copilot
Every request between VS Code Copilot and Federal Register API is protected by our secure gateway. We automatically keep your sensitive data private, prevent unauthorized access, and let you disconnect instantly at any time.
Frequently asked questions
Is an API Key required for Federal Register API?
No. The Federal Register API is a free and open service provided by the United States government. This server works out of the box without any static credentials required.
What types of documents are available?
The API provides access to rules, proposed rules, notices, and presidential documents published in the Federal Register.
Can the agent show agency publication counts?
Yes. The list_federal_agencies tool retrieves the list of agencies along with their metadata, assisting in identifying which entities publish most frequently.
Which VS Code version supports MCP?
MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.
How do I switch to Agent mode?
Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.
Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?
Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.
Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?
Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.
MCP tools not available
Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.
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