• STRUCTURE
  • TARGETING
  • VERIFICATION
  • HUMAN

How to map federal agency hierarchies with your AI

Connect to FOIA.gov to let your agent crawl the organizational tree of federal departments. It finds the exact sub-agencies you need for requests.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I use AI to find specific federal agency sub-units?

Your agent uses the FOIA.gov connector to pull the full list of components within a department. It then drills down into specific sub-agencies to identify the correct office for your inquiry. You get a clear map of the federal hierarchy.

The results

Where your research lands

The agent organizes the federal structure into actionable data points.

STRUCTURE

Full agency trees

The agent pulls the organizational layout of a department. You see how sub-agencies sit under parent departments.

TARGETING

Specific component IDs

Your agent identifies the exact component name or ID needed for a request. This prevents sending FOIA requests to the wrong office.

VERIFICATION

Confirmed agency details

The AI pulls real-time data from FOIA.gov. You get the official names used by the federal government.

HUMAN

Final request review

The AI identifies the target, but you decide if the component is the right one for your specific legal or information needs.

The workflow

What your AI does when the request arrives.

The agent moves from broad departments to specific sub-units using live federal data.

  1. Scan the department

    The agent looks at a high-level agency to see all its constituent parts.

    list_agency_components

  2. Drill into a component

    Once a sub-agency is identified, the agent pulls its specific details.

    get_agency_component

  3. Verify the hierarchy

    The agent cross-references the component against the parent list to ensure the path is correct.

    list_agency_components

  4. Confirm target details

    The agent retrieves the final, specific data for the chosen component.

    get_agency_component

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to begin your mapping task.

Starting points

Swap the agency names for the specific departments you are researching.

FOIA.gov Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_QVJ73jQfdjJfOUeBAPUp0dxxpvTDMFeaMaalwTc0/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — FOIA.gov capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "foiagov-freedom-of-information-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_QVJ73jQfdjJfOUeBAPUp0dxxpvTDMFeaMaalwTc0/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • List all components within the Department of Justice.

  • Find the specific sub-agency details for the Environmental Protection Agency.

  • Show me the hierarchy for the Department of Homeland Security.

  • Which components fall under the Department of Energy?

  • Claude
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Start here

Connect FOIA.gov once, then ask.

One connection gives your agent access to the FOIA.gov data. Your credentials stay encrypted and secure.

Connect FOIA.gov to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves

  • 01

    Can the AI submit a FOIA request for me?

    No. The AI only identifies the correct agency components. You must submit the actual request yourself.

  • 02

    Does the AI update the agency hierarchy?

    No. The AI only reads the data provided by FOIA.gov. It cannot change or edit federal records.

  • 03

    Can I find contact info for specific officials?

    The AI can find agency component details, but it does not have a tool to search for individual employee contact information.

  • 04

    How does the AI know which sub-agency is correct?

    It uses the list of components provided by the FOIA.gov data to match your request to the official hierarchy.

  • 05

    Can the AI search for agencies by keyword?

    Yes, you can ask your agent to find components that match specific names or keywords within the agency lists.

  • More questions about FOIA.gov? See everything the FOIA.gov Connector can do

Connect FOIA.gov to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more