referencesource.org

Verified reference data; each record carries its source URL and quote.

CommunityDegradedNo sign-inGlobalFreeRead-only

What it can do

    What data it sees

    Do you need an account

    No: the server works without sign-in

    Verified reference data; each record carries its source URL and quote. verify_quote checks claims.

    How to connect

    How to connect referencesource.org to Claude

    The server address to paste into Claude settings:

    https://referencesource.org/mcp

    1. Open Claude (claude.ai or the desktop app).
    2. Go to Settings → Connectors.
    3. Click Add custom connector.
    4. Paste the server address copied below into Remote MCP server URL and click Add.
    5. In a chat, click + → Connectors and switch the new connector on.

    Custom connectors are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans (Free is limited to one). On Team and Enterprise an organization Owner adds the connector first under Organization settings → Connectors.

    Authorization

    After you click Add, a sign-in window for the service opens. Sign in with your own account and approve access. Claude never sees your password.

    How to connect referencesource.org to ChatGPT

    The server address to paste into ChatGPT settings:

    https://referencesource.org/mcp

    1. Open ChatGPT in a browser (chatgpt.com). A Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu plan is required.
    2. Turn on developer mode once: Settings → Apps → Advanced settings → Developer mode.
    3. Open Settings → Connectors and click Create.
    4. Fill in the form: Name (anything), Description (one line about what the service does), MCP server URL (copy it below).
    5. Under Authentication choose OAuth if the service requires sign-in, otherwise None. Click Create.
    6. In a new chat open + → Apps/Connectors and enable the connector.

    OpenAI has renamed this section before (Connectors → Apps/Plugins). If the label differs, search settings for "developer mode". On Business/Enterprise workspaces an admin must allow custom connectors first.

    Authorization

    On first use ChatGPT opens the service's sign-in window. Sign in and approve access.

    How to connect referencesource.org to Cursor

    The server address to paste into Cursor settings:

    https://referencesource.org/mcp

    Fastest: click Open in Cursor below and confirm the prompt.

    Manually:

    1. In Cursor open Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP and click Add new global MCP server.
    2. Paste the JSON copied below into ~/.cursor/mcp.json (per project: .cursor/mcp.json in the repo root).
    3. Save the file. The server appears in the MCP list; authorize it there if asked.

    Authorization

    If the service needs sign-in, an authorize button appears next to the server in the MCP list.

    Server tool list (4)

    Raw names from tools/list. Only developers need these.

    list_datasetsWhat reference datasets are available? Lists every published dataset with its title, record count, last-verified date and a one-sentence summary. Covers regulatory thresholds, version compatibility, certification registers, licensing rules and more. Pass `query` to list only the datasets matching a topic — that is much cheaper than reading the whole list. Use the returned slug with search_records or get_record.
    search_recordsLook up a specific record — search by state name, chemical, certificate number, product name or any keyword. Searches one dataset's records (case-insensitive substring match across all fields). Returns up to 20 matching records, each with its url, source and verbatim source_quote so the answer can be checked.
    get_recordFetch one record by id — for example, look up a FIPS 140 certificate's status, a state's boiler inspection rules, or a county's loan limit. Returns the full record with its source URL and verbatim source quote. Record ids appear in search_records results and in each record's url.
    verify_quoteIs this value actually right? Check a claimed fact against a published record instead of trusting it. Reports whether the claim matches the record's stored value (exact, case-insensitive or normalised — the match type is named), whether it appears in the record's verbatim source quote, and returns the source URL and quote so the claim can be traced upstream. Use this whenever you want to confirm a number, date, threshold or status before stating it. Verdicts: matches_record, matches_quote, differs or not_found.