socrata-mcp-server

Search and query government open-data portals (Socrata SODA API).

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What it can do

    What data it sees

    Do you need an account

    No: the server works without sign-in

    Search and query government open-data portals (Socrata SODA API).

    How to connect

    How to connect socrata-mcp-server to Claude

    The server address to paste into Claude settings:

    https://socrata.caseyjhand.com/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 socrata-mcp-server to ChatGPT

    The server address to paste into ChatGPT settings:

    https://socrata.caseyjhand.com/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 socrata-mcp-server to Cursor

    The server address to paste into Cursor settings:

    https://socrata.caseyjhand.com/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 (6)

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

    socrata_find_datasetsSearch for datasets across all Socrata-powered government open-data portals, or scope to one portal with the domain parameter. Returns dataset IDs, names, abbreviated column lists, domains, and update timestamps. Use socrata_get_dataset to fetch the full typed column schema before writing queries — columnNames here are preview-only and lack type information.
    socrata_get_datasetFetch full metadata and column schema for a Socrata dataset by ID. Returns field names, data types, descriptions, row count, and licensing. Always call this before writing a socrata_query_dataset — the column types determine correct WHERE clause syntax: Number columns accept bare literals (year=2023) while Text columns require single-quoted strings (year='2023').
    socrata_query_datasetExecute a SoQL query against any dataset on any Socrata portal. Use the search parameter for quick full-text lookup, or combine select/where/group/having/order for full analytical control. Returns rows plus the assembled SoQL string so you can learn the pattern. All SODA 2.1 row values are strings even for numeric columns — check dataType from socrata_get_dataset to determine correct WHERE quoting: Number columns use bare literals (year=2023), Text columns use single-quoted strings (year='2023'). To enumerate distinct values, use select="col, count(*) as n" with group="col" and order="n DESC". When CANVAS_PROVIDER_TYPE=duckdb and rows fill the limit, results spill to a DataCanvas table for SQL-based analysis.
    socrata_list_portalsList known Socrata-powered government open-data portals with their domain, organization name, and approximate dataset count. The catalog is a curated list of 40 well-known portals; dataset counts are fetched from the Discovery API and cached for ~24 hours. Filtering is client-side substring match on the query parameter. Use this first when you do not know which portal to target, then pass the domain to socrata_find_datasets.
    socrata_dataframe_describeList registered tables in a DataCanvas session — schema, row count, and column names. Shows what datasets are available for SQL queries via socrata_dataframe_query. Only meaningful when CANVAS_PROVIDER_TYPE=duckdb is set. Use after socrata_query_dataset spills a large result set to canvas.
    socrata_dataframe_queryRun SELECT-only SQL against a DataCanvas table populated by socrata_query_dataset. DuckDB infers types from spilled data, so numeric columns that SODA returned as strings become queryable with numeric comparisons (year > 2020, amount < 500). Only works when CANVAS_PROVIDER_TYPE=duckdb is set. Use socrata_dataframe_describe to see registered tables and their schemas.