MCP-FREDAPI

What is MCP-FREDAPI?

MCP-FREDAPI is an MCP server that provides access to economic data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) through the Model Context Protocol. It integrates with the official FRED API, focusing on the series_observations endpoint to retrieve time series data for economic indicators. This server is designed for AI assistants like Claude, enabling them to fetch FRED data directly when used with Cursor or other MCP-compatible environments.

How to use MCP-FREDAPI?

Installation is done via pip (with mcp, httpx, python-dotenv) or uv (recommended). After cloning the repository, set your FRED API key in a .env file. For Cursor, add the server to ~/.cursor/mcp.json using the uv run command. Use the tool @mcp-fredapi:get_fred_series_observations within Claude to query series. Note that only certain parameters currently work: series_id, sort_order, units, frequency, aggregation_method, and output_type. Other parameters like observation_start, limit, and vintage_dates are not working due to MCP limitations.

Key features of MCP-FREDAPI

• Retrieves economic time series data from FRED
• Supports multiple frequency, units, and aggregation options
• Integrates with Claude in Cursor via MCP
• Uses the official FRED API series_observations endpoint
• Provides simple parameter set (6 working parameters)
• Easy configuration with .env file and mcp.json

Use cases of MCP-FREDAPI

• Getting the latest GDP data from FRED
• Fetching inflation rate using CPI time series with percent change
• Retrieving annual GDP data for long‑term trends
• Sorting observations in descending order (newest first)
• Obtaining data in different output formats (e.g., output_type 2)

FAQ from MCP-FREDAPI

What is MCP-FREDAPI used for?

It enables AI assistants to query economic time series from the Federal Reserve’s FRED database directly within MCP-compatible environments like Cursor.

How do I get a FRED API key?

You can obtain a free API key from the FRED API website (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/docs/api/api_key.html). Set it in the FRED_API_KEY environment variable in a .env file.

Which parameters of get_fred_series_observations currently work?

Only series_id, sort_order, units, frequency, aggregation_method, and output_type are functional. Parameters like realtime_start, realtime_end, limit, offset, observation_start, observation_end, and vintage_dates are not working.

How do I configure MCP-FREDAPI with Cursor?

Add a configuration entry to ~/.cursor/mcp.json using the uv command pointing to your local repository directory. The README provides a full JSON example.

What are common economic series IDs I can use?

Examples include GDP (Gross Domestic Product), CPIAUCSL (Consumer Price Index), UNRATE (Unemployment Rate), FEDFUNDS (Federal Funds Rate), and A191RL1Q225SBEA (Real GDP). The README lists several common IDs.