FRED (economic data)

Name: FRED (economic data)
Author: mcpwright

by mcpwrightversion 0.1.1i★ –iRuns on your computer

Registry nameio.github.mcpwright/fred-mcp

Install

Overview

Description from the maker (original English)

FRED economic time series + ALFRED vintages: data as originally published, before revisions.

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

These three are never merged into one score: opinions, measurements and popularity are different things.

User voiceiNo reviews yetReviews open together with accounts in a later step
Our basic checksi1 of 1 passedChecked from public information; code not scanned yet
UsageiNot measured yet★ –

What you can do with it

We have not written a plain-language summary for this one yet. Below are the facts we read from the registry.

Connection: Runs on your computer
Transport: stdio
Category: Other
You need to fill in: FRED_API_KEY

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Before you install

Basic checks: 1 of 1 passed
Runs on your computer with your user’s permissions (files, network, apps).
You fill in yourself: FRED_API_KEY, FRED_MCP_USER_AGENT

You need

PyPIPython’s uv installed (for the uvx command)

Which app do you use?

ClaudeClaude CodeCursorVS CodeChatGPT

Pick your app above. We remember it, so next time the button says “Install in …”.

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config, and paste this into claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fred": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcpwright-fred"
      ],
      "env": {
        "FRED_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "FRED_MCP_USER_AGENT": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Run this in your terminal

claude mcp add fred --env FRED_API_KEY=your-value --env FRED_MCP_USER_AGENT=your-value -- uvx mcpwright-fred

Fill in the empty values before running it.

Open in Cursor

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fred": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcpwright-fred"
      ],
      "env": {
        "FRED_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "FRED_MCP_USER_AGENT": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

Open in VS Code

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .vscode/mcp.json in your project

{
  "servers": {
    "fred": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcpwright-fred"
      ],
      "env": {
        "FRED_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "FRED_MCP_USER_AGENT": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

This one runs on your computer, and ChatGPT can only connect to servers on the internet. Pick another app.

Your choice stays on this device in a cookie; no account needed.

Values you fill in

FRED_API_KEY required env
Your own free FRED API key (get one at fred.stlouisfed.org/docs/api/api_key_request.html). Keys are personal under the FRED API Terms of Use.
FRED_MCP_USER_AGENT env
Descriptive User-Agent identifying your deployment. Optional.

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

What it can do

Runs on your computer; the tool list appears in your AI app after you install it.

Basic checksi

We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 7, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified with the GitHub account mcpwright, which owns the repo
… Not checked yet
Still maintained
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
… Not checked yet
Has a licence
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
– Not applicable
Endpoint responds
This one runs on your computer; there is no internet endpoint
– Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
Runs on your computer and uses local settings instead
… Not checked yet
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Runs on your computer; we can only read tool lists from internet endpoints

Compared with others in Otheri

More stars than 0% of the other 32558 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 29% of the other 32558 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 32558 servers in this category

Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.

Common questions

Is FRED (economic data) safe?

It passed 1 of 1 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.

What keys or codes does it need?

You need to fill in: FRED_API_KEY

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs on your computer. Your AI app starts it when needed, and data does not pass through the maker’s servers (unless it calls an online service itself).

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed –, and the latest version (0.1.1) reached the registry 3 months ago.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. You also need Python (uv) on your computer.

What can I use instead?

In the same category: Spec Driven Development, Remote Desktop Commander, FactLot

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README from the maker

Open the README

Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.

fred-mcp

**FRED® economic data inside your AI agent — including what the numbers said *before* the revisions. An MCP server for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis's FRED® API: search and read 800,000+ U.S. and international time series, follow the release calendar, and — the distinctive part — query ALFRED® vintage data**: any series exactly as it was known on a past date, and any single data point's full revision history from its initial print to today's value.

Read-only, built on public endpoints, powered by your own free FRED API key. Live API calls with a volatility-aware cache (vintage reads are immutable and cache long; current data stays fresh) — no bulk mirroring.

This product uses the FRED® API but is not endorsed or certified by the

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. By using this server you agree to the

FRED® API Terms of Use.

Status: v0.1.0 — live on PyPI (uvx mcpwright-fred) and the official MCP Registry (io.github.mcpwright/fred-mcp). 9 tools, CI-gated, built on mcpwright-core.

Why vintage data matters

Economic numbers get revised — sometimes dramatically. The *advance* estimate of Q4-2008 real GDP told policymakers the economy was shrinking far more slowly than the number that stands today. If an agent reasons about what decision-makers knew *at the time* using *current* data, it is quietly wrong. get_series_as_of and get_revision_history make as-published data a first-class question.

Tools

Tool	What it does
`search_series`	Find series IDs by free text, best matches first
`get_series`	One series' full metadata + verbatim notes
`get_observations`	A date window of values; transforms (`pct_change_yoy`, …) + downsampling
`get_latest`	The most recent value + the next scheduled release date
`compare_series`	2–5 series aligned on one date axis
`get_release_calendar`	Upcoming data releases ("when's the next jobs report?")
`get_series_as_of` ⭐	A series exactly as known on a past date (ALFRED vintage)
`get_revision_history` ⭐	One data point's life: initial print → every revision → today
`get_vintage_dates` ⭐	When a series was released/revised; bounds the vintage tools

All tools are read-only and annotated as such.

What can you ask?

Every question below was run live against the real FRED API through these tools (answers as of June 2026 — ask again and they'll be current).

Everyday questions:

*"What's the unemployment rate right now, and when's the next jobs report?"* — get_latest(UNRATE) → 4.3% (May 2026), next release 2026-07-02.
*"What's the 10-year Treasury yield today?"* — get_latest(DGS10) → 4.53% (it correctly skips the . rows daily series publish on holidays).
*"How has inflation trended over the past year?"* — get_observations(CPIAUCSL, transform=pct_change_yoy) → 2.4% → 3.3% → 3.8% → 4.2% over Feb–May 2026.
*"Find me data on median household income."* — search_series → MEHOINUSA672N (real) and MEHOINUSA646N (nominal), annual.
*"Is the labor market loosening? Compare unemployment and job openings since 2024."* — compare_series([UNRATE, JTSJOL]) → one aligned table.
*"What economic data comes out this week?"* — get_release_calendar(7) → 241 release dates, CPI included.
*"What was real GDP growth each quarter of 2025?"* — get_observations(A191RL1Q225SBEA) → −0.6, +3.8, +4.4, +0.5%.
*"Give me CPI as annual averages for the 2020s."* — get_observations(CPIAUCSL, frequency=annual) → one row per year.

Questions only the vintage tools can answer:

*"How bad did Q4-2008 GDP look to policymakers in early 2009, versus what we know now?"* — get_series_as_of(GDPC1, "2009-02-15") → a −3.8% annualized decline as known then (in chained-2000 dollars — the metadata is vintage-pinned too) versus −8.5% in today's data. Policy ran on the first number.
*"Was the May 2020 COVID unemployment rate ever revised?"* — get_revision_history(UNRATE, "2020-05-01") → first published as 13.3 (2020-06-05), currently 13.2, with each revision dated.
*"What mortgage rate did the Fed see going into the March 2022 liftoff meeting?"* — get_series_as_of(MORTGAGE30US, "2022-03-16") → 3.85% as known then; 6.48% today.
*"How often does GDP actually get revised?"* — get_vintage_dates(GDPC1) → 415 vintages since 1991-12-04.

Install

You need a free FRED API key (takes seconds): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/docs/api/api_key_request.html. Keys are personal under the FRED terms — bring your own.

`uvx` (any MCP client)

"mcpServers": { "fred": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["mcpwright-fred"], "env": { "FRED_API_KEY": "your-key-here" } } } }

Claude Code

claude mcp add fred -e FRED_API_KEY=your-key-here -- uvx mcpwright-fred

Claude Desktop

Use the one-click .mcpb extension from the latest release (it prompts for your API key), or add the uvx JSON above to your claude_desktop_config.json.

OpenAI Agents SDK / other clients

Any MCP-capable client works — point it at uvx mcpwright-fred over stdio with FRED_API_KEY in the environment.

Notes

Revisions: current values often differ from what was originally published; for "what was known at the time", use the vintage tools.
Copyrighted series: some FRED series are owned by third parties; their notes carry the owner's terms (surfaced verbatim, flagged via copyrighted). You are responsible for complying with them beyond personal use.
Caching & rate limits: responses are cached in-memory (vintage reads long, live reads short) and requests are throttled well under FRED's rate limit. Set FRED_MCP_CACHE=0 to disable caching, FRED_MCP_USER_AGENT to identify your own deployment.

Develop

git clone https://github.com/mcpwright/fred-mcp && cd fred-mcp

uv sync uv run pytest # tests uv run mypy # types uv run ruff check src/ && uv run ruff format --check src/ # lint + format uv run pre-commit run --all-files # everything, like CI

Dev loop: feature branch → PR → Code Quality & Tests green → squash-merge.

Roadmap

v1 tool surface (9 tools incl. the ALFRED vintage lane)
Publish to PyPI (mcpwright-fred) + the MCP Registry
Site page at mcpwright.com/fred
.mcpb one-click Claude Desktop extension (v0.1.0 release)
GeoFRED / maps (pairs with census-mcp)

Questions & feedback

Discussions for questions and ideas · Issues for bugs.

Part of [mcpwright](https://mcpwright.com) — polished MCP servers for authoritative public data · built by Devender Gollapally. FRED® and ALFRED® are registered trademarks of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. This project is not affiliated with, endorsed, or certified by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

FRED (economic data)

Overview

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

What you can do with it

Install

Before you install

Values you fill in

What it can do

Basic checksi

Maker matches the repo

Still maintained

Has a licence

Endpoint responds

Sign-in with OAuth

No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

Compared with others in Otheri

Common questions

Alternatives

Spec Driven Development

Remote Desktop Commander

FactLot

README from the maker

fred-mcp

Why vintage data matters

Tools

What can you ask?

Install

uvx (any MCP client)

Claude Code

Claude Desktop

OpenAI Agents SDK / other clients

Notes

Develop

Roadmap

Questions & feedback

`uvx` (any MCP client)