Bring Open Data
to Windsurf
Create your Vinkius account to connect Data.gov to Windsurf and start using all 13 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 Data.gov MCP Server?
Connect to Data.gov and explore the US government's open data catalog through natural conversation — no API key needed.
What you can do
- Dataset Search — Search 300,000+ federal datasets by keyword, organization, tags and topic
- Dataset Details — Get full metadata including descriptions, resource downloads, licenses and data dictionaries
- Browse Organizations — Explore all federal agencies publishing open data (NASA, USDA, EPA, NOAA, Census Bureau, etc.)
- Browse by Topic — Discover datasets organized by topic: agriculture, climate, education, health, finance, public safety
- Browse by Tags — Find datasets by popular tags and categories
- Resource Formats — Discover available download formats (CSV, JSON, XML, Shapefile, GeoJSON, PDF)
How it works
- Subscribe to this server
- No API key needed — all Data.gov data is public domain
- Start exploring federal open data from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client
Who is this for?
- Researchers — find federal datasets for academic research and data analysis
- Journalists — discover government data for investigative reporting
- Developers — integrate federal open data into applications and visualizations
- Students — explore real government data for projects and assignments
Built-in capabilities (13)
gov dataset by its ID or name. Returns full description, organization, tags, resource list (downloadable files), metadata dates, license info and data dictionary. Get detailed info for a specific dataset
Returns group name, description, image URL and published datasets (optional). Common groups: "agriculture", "climate", "education", "health", "finance", "public-safety". Get details for a specific topic group
Returns dataset titles, descriptions, organizations and download links. Get all datasets in a specific topic group
gov. Returns organization name, description, contact info, image URL and published datasets (optional). Get details for a specific organization
Returns dataset titles, descriptions, resource counts and download links. Get all datasets published by an organization
gov API including total counts of datasets, organizations, groups and tags. Get Data.gov API status and statistics
Returns tag name, dataset count and associated datasets (up to 20). Get details for a specific tag
Returns dataset titles, descriptions, organizations and download links. Get all datasets with a specific tag
gov (e.g. agriculture, climate, education, health, finance). Returns group names, descriptions, image URLs and dataset counts. List all topic groups on Data.gov
gov. Returns organization names, descriptions, dataset counts, logos and contact info. List all organizations publishing data on Data.gov
). Useful for filtering datasets by preferred format. List all data formats available in Data.gov resources
gov datasets. Returns tag names, dataset counts and display names. Useful for discovering common topics and filtering searches. List all tags used to categorize datasets
gov catalog of US federal government open datasets. Supports free-text search and filtering by organization, tags, groups. Returns dataset titles, descriptions, organizations, resource counts, tags and download links. Sort options include "metadata_modified desc" (recent), "views_recent desc" (popular). Search US government open data datasets
Why Windsurf?
Windsurf's Cascade agent chains multiple Data.gov tool calls autonomously. query data, analyze results, and generate code in a single agentic session. Paste Vinkius Edge URL, reload, and all 13 tools are immediately available. Real-time tool feedback appears inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor.
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Windsurf's Cascade agent autonomously chains multiple tool calls in sequence, solving complex multi-step tasks without manual intervention
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Purpose-built for agentic workflows. Cascade understands context across your entire codebase and integrates MCP tools natively
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JSON-based configuration means zero code changes: paste a URL, reload, and all 13 tools are immediately available
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Real-time tool feedback is displayed inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor without switching contexts
Data.gov in Windsurf
Why run Data.gov with Vinkius?
The Data.gov 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 13 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 Data.gov using Vinkius. You will never be left in the dark about what your AI agents are doing with your tools.
Data.gov and 4,000+ other AI tools. No hosting, no code, ready to use.
Professionals who connect Data.gov to Windsurf 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
Data.gov for Windsurf
Every request between Windsurf and Data.gov 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
Do I need an API key?
No! Data.gov data is public domain and freely accessible. No authentication required.
How many datasets are available?
Data.gov catalogs 300,000+ datasets from over 200 federal agencies including NASA, USDA, EPA, NOAA, Department of Education, Census Bureau and many more.
What organizations publish data?
Over 200 federal agencies including NASA, USDA, EPA, NOAA, Department of Education, Census Bureau, Department of Transportation, FBI, CDC, FDA and many more.
What formats are available?
Common formats: CSV, JSON, XML, Shapefile, GeoJSON, PDF, HTML, RDF, KML, ZIP. Use list_resource_formats to see all available formats.
How does Windsurf discover MCP tools?
Windsurf reads the 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?
Yes. Cascade is an agentic system. it can plan and execute multi-step workflows, calling several tools in sequence to accomplish complex tasks without manual prompting between steps.
Does Windsurf support multiple MCP servers?
Yes. Add as many servers as needed in mcp_config.json. Each server's tools appear in the MCP panel and Cascade can use tools from different servers in a single flow.
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