Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://fred-mcp-server.amorelli.tech/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Basic Usage Examples
Learn how to use the FRED MCP Server with practical examples covering the most common economic data queries.
Getting Started
Before diving into examples, ensure you have:
- Configured your FRED API key
- Connected the server to your MCP client
- Verified the connection is working
Common Economic Queries
Unemployment Rate
Current Rate
Last Year
Historical Trend
Query: “What’s the current US unemployment rate?”{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "UNRATE",
"limit": 1,
"sort_order": "desc"
}
}
Query: “Show unemployment rate for the last 12 months”{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "UNRATE",
"limit": 12,
"sort_order": "desc"
}
}
Query: “Get unemployment trend since 2020”{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "UNRATE",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01"
}
}
Inflation Tracking
Current Inflation
Core vs Headline
Monthly Changes
Query: “What’s the current inflation rate?”{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "CPIAUCSL",
"units": "pc1",
"limit": 1,
"sort_order": "desc"
}
}
Query: “Compare core and headline inflation”// Headline CPI
{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "CPIAUCSL",
"units": "pc1",
"limit": 12
}
}
// Core CPI
{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "CPILFESL",
"units": "pc1",
"limit": 12
}
}
Query: “Show month-to-month inflation changes”{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "CPIAUCSL",
"units": "pch",
"limit": 12
}
}
GDP and Growth
Latest GDP
Real GDP Growth
GDP Components
Query: “What’s the latest GDP figure?”{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "GDP",
"limit": 1,
"sort_order": "desc"
}
}
Query: “Show real GDP growth rate”{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "GDPC1",
"units": "pca",
"limit": 8
}
}
Query: “Break down GDP by components”// Personal Consumption
{
"series_id": "PCE",
"limit": 4
}
// Investment
{
"series_id": "GPDI",
"limit": 4
}
// Government
{
"series_id": "GCE",
"limit": 4
}
// Net Exports
{
"series_id": "NETEXP",
"limit": 4
}
Interest Rates
Federal Reserve Rates
{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "DFF",
"limit": 30
}
}
Treasury Yields
// 3-Month
{"series_id": "DGS3MO", "limit": 1}
// 2-Year
{"series_id": "DGS2", "limit": 1}
// 5-Year
{"series_id": "DGS5", "limit": 1}
// 10-Year
{"series_id": "DGS10", "limit": 1}
// 30-Year
{"series_id": "DGS30", "limit": 1}
Labor Market Data
Employment Statistics
{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "PAYEMS",
"units": "chg",
"limit": 12
}
}
Jobless Claims
{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "ICSA",
"limit": 52
}
}
Housing Market
Home Prices and Sales
{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "CSUSHPISA",
"units": "pc1",
"limit": 24
}
}
Mortgage Rates
{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "MORTGAGE30US",
"limit": 52
}
}
Financial Markets
Stock Market Indices
{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "SP500",
"limit": 252
}
}
Exchange Rates
{
"tool": "fred_get_series",
"params": {
"series_id": "DEXUSEU",
"limit": 30
}
}
Discovering Data
Search for Series
{
"tool": "fred_search",
"params": {
"search_text": "inflation",
"tag_names": "usa,monthly",
"limit": 10
}
}
Browse Categories
{
"tool": "fred_browse",
"params": {
"browse_type": "categories"
}
}
Creating Reports
Economic Dashboard
// Comprehensive economic snapshot
async function getEconomicDashboard() {
const indicators = [
{ id: "GDPC1", name: "Real GDP", transform: "pca" },
{ id: "UNRATE", name: "Unemployment" },
{ id: "CPIAUCSL", name: "CPI Inflation", transform: "pc1" },
{ id: "DFF", name: "Fed Funds Rate" },
{ id: "DGS10", name: "10-Year Treasury" },
{ id: "SP500", name: "S&P 500" }
];
const results = {};
for (const indicator of indicators) {
const params = {
series_id: indicator.id,
limit: 1,
sort_order: "desc"
};
if (indicator.transform) {
params.units = indicator.transform;
}
results[indicator.name] = await callTool("fred_get_series", params);
}
return results;
}
Comparative Analysis
// Compare periods
async function comparePeriods(seriesId, period1Start, period2Start) {
const period1 = await callTool("fred_get_series", {
series_id: seriesId,
observation_start: period1Start,
observation_end: addYear(period1Start),
units: "pc1"
});
const period2 = await callTool("fred_get_series", {
series_id: seriesId,
observation_start: period2Start,
observation_end: addYear(period2Start),
units: "pc1"
});
return { period1, period2 };
}
Tips for Effective Queries
Start Simple
Begin with basic queries and add complexity as needed
Use Transformations
Apply units transformations for meaningful comparisons
Check Frequency
Ensure data frequencies match when comparing series
Handle Missing Data
Some series have gaps; always check for null values
Optimize Requests
Request only the data you need using limits and date ranges
Common Patterns
Latest Value Pattern
{
"series_id": "SERIES_ID",
"limit": 1,
"sort_order": "desc"
}
Time Period Pattern
{
"series_id": "SERIES_ID",
"observation_start": "START_DATE",
"observation_end": "END_DATE"
}
Growth Rate Pattern
{
"series_id": "SERIES_ID",
"units": "pc1", // or "pch", "pca"
"limit": 12
}
Frequency Conversion Pattern
{
"series_id": "SERIES_ID",
"frequency": "m", // or "q", "a"
"aggregation_method": "avg"
}
Next Steps
Economic Indicators
Deep dive into key indicators
Time Series Analysis
Advanced analysis techniques
Data Transformations
Master data transformations
Advanced Queries
Complex query patterns
