Usaspending MCP Server - install, status & alternatives [2026]

01 · Install Usaspending MCP Server

before you install - you'll need

Set MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL before connecting.

Claude Code

claude mcp add cyanheads-usaspending-mcp-server --transport http https://usaspending.caseyjhand.com/mcp

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cyanheads-usaspending-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://usaspending.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

https://usaspending.caseyjhand.com/mcp

transport: streamable-http

endpoint alive - responded to MCP initialize · probed 2026-08-25

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions · remote - your agent's requests go to usaspending.caseyjhand.com

endpoint auth accepted our unauthenticated MCP initialize - no credentials needed to connect

license Apache-2.0 - declared in the repository

npm package @cyanheads/usaspending-mcp-server - published under the repo owner's npm scope (@cyanheads)

registry namespace io.github.cyanheads is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Usaspending MCP Server can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

What you can build

With this server connected, an agent can list individual transactions (modifications, amendments) on an award. Reveals spending history and obligation changes over time, list subaward contracts or grants under a prime award. Reveals the sub-contractor or sub-grantee layer - who actually does the work, fetch a recipient's profile: address, business types, parent organization, alternate names, and total award amounts by type, and list all top-tier federal agencies with toptier codes, budget authority amounts, and obligation totals. Entry point for agency navigation.

Capability map

Tools grouped from the project's README - what Usaspending MCP Server lets an agent do.

Usaspending

18 tools - e.g. Search federal awards by keyword, recipient, agency, award type, NAICS code, location, or date range. Returns ranked award summaries with recipient names, amoun; Fetch full details of a federal award by…

usaspending_search_awards · usaspending_get_award · usaspending_get_idv_awards · usaspending_get_award_transactions · usaspending_get_award_subawards · usaspending_get_award_federal_accounts…

Scope

1 tool - e.g. place_of_performance or recipient_location

scope

Geo

1 tool - e.g. state, county, or district

geo_layer

Group

1 tool - e.g. fiscal_year, quarter, or month

group

Subawards

1 tool - e.g. true shifts aggregation to the subaward layer

subawards

Latest releases

v0.4.2 · 2026-08-25

mcp-ts-core SDK v2 adoption · tool arguments are strict - an argument key a tool's schema doesn't declare is now rejected by name instead of silently dropped, and every advertised inputSchema carries…

v0.4.1 · 2026-07-27

Shared retry deadline, pagination audit, currency and enrichment fixes · Bounds the service's retry loop under one wall-clock deadline (USASPENDING_RETRY_BUDGET_MS) - a per-attempt timeout is no longer re-paid on every…

v0.4.0 · 2026-07-27

usaspending_autocomplete_filters rename and geography fixes · usaspending_autocomplete renamed to · usaspending_autocomplete_filters; the old name is gone, not · aliased - clients must switch (#43)…

04 · Who maintains Usaspending MCP Server

usaspending-mcp-server is maintained by cyanheads. We track 125 MCP servers from cyanheads - 124 actively maintained, 1,730 combined GitHub stars, oldest repo from Dec 2024. Full record: all servers from cyanheads.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/cyanheads/usaspending-mcp-server
category: data & analytics - ranked #15 of 75 actively-maintained data & analytics servers as of 2026-08-25.
release cadence: 10+ releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-08-25)
registry: io.github.cyanheads/usaspending-mcp-server (active, first published 2026-05-26 · 22 versions)
packages: npm:@cyanheads/usaspending-mcp-server · npm:@cyanheads/usaspending-mcp-server

06 · Usaspending MCP Server FAQ

Is Usaspending MCP Server still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-08-25, its last commit was 2026-08-25 and it shipped 10+ releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

What can Usaspending MCP Server do?

With this server connected, an agent can list individual transactions (modifications, amendments) on an award. Reveals spending history and obligation changes over time, list subaward contracts or grants under a prime award. Reveals the sub-contractor or sub-grantee layer - who actually does the work, fetch a recipient's profile: address, business types, parent organization, alternate names, and total award amounts by type, and list all top-tier federal agencies with toptier codes, budget authority amounts, and obligation totals. Entry point for agency navigation.

How do I install Usaspending MCP Server?

Run `npx -y @cyanheads/usaspending-mcp-server`. The README documents 2 environment variables (MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL) to set first. Set MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Usaspending MCP Server require authentication?

No - the endpoint accepted our unauthenticated MCP initialize when probed on 2026-08-25; you can connect without credentials.

07 · Alternatives to Usaspending MCP Server

Alternatives to Usaspending MCP Server

Maintained data & analytics servers if Usaspending MCP Server isn't the fit.

Pairs well with

Servers that cover what Usaspending MCP Server doesn't - only shown when the pairing reason fits the companion.

More data & analytics MCP servers · Convalytics · Hop · Data Raum · Meta Data MCP · Wildberries

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