API Keys
25 APIs work with no key at all. The rest use free keys — most take under a minute to get.
Setting Keys
Two options
Option 1 — .env file (recommended for local development):
Create a .env file in your project root:
DATA_GOV_API_KEY=your_key_here
FRED_API_KEY=your_key_hereOption 2 — env block in MCP config (recommended for VS Code / Claude Desktop):
Add keys directly in your MCP client config as shown in Getting Started.
Key Reference
| Key | APIs | Get it |
|---|---|---|
BEA_API_KEY | Bureau of Economic Analysis | Sign up |
BLS_API_KEY | Bureau of Labor Statistics (optional) | Sign up |
CENSUS_API_KEY | Census Bureau | Sign up |
DATA_GOV_API_KEY | College Scorecard, Congress.gov, FBI Crime Data Explorer, FDA (OpenFDA) (optional), OpenFEC (Federal Election Commission), GovInfo, NREL (Clean Energy), Regulations.gov, USDA FoodData Central, USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) (optional) | Sign up |
DOL_API_KEY | DOL (Department of Labor) | Sign up |
EIA_API_KEY | Energy Information Administration | Sign up |
AQS_API_KEY | EPA Air Quality System (AQS) | Sign up |
AQS_EMAIL | EPA Air Quality System (AQS) | Sign up |
FRED_API_KEY | FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) | Sign up |
HUD_USER_TOKEN | HUD | Sign up |
NOAA_API_KEY | NOAA Climate Data Online | Sign up |
LDA_API_KEY | Senate Lobbying Disclosures (optional) | Sign up |
USDA_NASS_API_KEY | USDA NASS QuickStats | Sign up |
USPTO_API_KEY | USPTO Open Data Portal | Sign up |
No-Key APIs (25)
These APIs work immediately — no signup required:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, BTS (Bureau of Transportation Statistics), CDC Health Data, CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), ClinicalTrials.gov, CMS, DOJ News, EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), FDA (OpenFDA), FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation), Federal Register, FEMA, Geo (Census Geocoder), GSA CALC+ Ceiling Rates, NAEP (Nation's Report Card), NHTSA, NIH RePORTER, NWS (National Weather Service), Open Payments (Sunshine Act), SEC EDGAR, Senate Lobbying Disclosures, U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data, USAspending, USGS (U.S. Geological Survey), World Bank
Optional keys for higher rate limits
These APIs work without a key; setting the key raises their rate limits. If the key is already in your environment for other modules, it's used automatically:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics —
BLS_API_KEY - FDA (OpenFDA) —
DATA_GOV_API_KEY - Senate Lobbying Disclosures —
LDA_API_KEY - USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) —
DATA_GOV_API_KEY - CDC — 1,000 req/hour without an app token (token support not yet implemented)
Contact Settings
Two agencies ask automated clients to identify themselves. Neither needs a signup:
| Variable | Used by | Value |
|---|---|---|
SEC_CONTACT_EMAIL | SEC EDGAR | Your email address. SEC's fair access policy asks for one and may block requests without it. |
NWS_USER_AGENT | NWS (National Weather Service) | Your app name and contact, e.g. my-app (me@example.org). Optional: a default naming this project is sent otherwise. |
Values left unchanged from .env.example (such as your_email@example.com) are ignored.