LIVE DataLink.ai
Recipe

Get FRED economic indicators in an AI agent

How do I let an agent retrieve current CPI, unemployment, rates, GDP, or Treasury yields?

Use friendly indicator names or exact FRED series IDs so an agent can answer macroeconomic questions with fresh Federal Reserve Economic Data observations.

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The steps

  1. fred_quick_indicator
    Fetch a popular indicator such as CPI, unemployment, GDP, the federal funds rate, VIX, WTI, or the ten-year yield by friendly name.
  2. fred_observations
    Use an exact FRED series ID and date range when the workflow needs a particular series.
  3. fred_compare
    Optional: compare two to five series over a common period for spreads or trend analysis.

Result: A repeatable macro-data workflow with current observations rather than copied dashboard values.

Safe example

fred_quick_indicator

{
  "indicator": "cpi",
  "limit": 12
}

Returns recent CPI observations with dates and values from FRED. The displayed example is descriptive; the authenticated call retrieves the live series.

This is a fixed documentation example. It makes no API call. The separate anonymous evaluation remains atomically capped at 25 lifetime calls per network; ongoing use requires a metered key.

Open this tool in the metered playground →

Connect from your client

Cursor and bearer-header MCP clients

Add this remote server configuration, replacing YOUR_API_KEY.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "livedatalink": {
      "url": "https://livedatalink.ai/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}
VS Code / GitHub Copilot

Save as .vscode/mcp.json. VS Code prompts for the key instead of committing it.

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "livedatalink-key",
      "type": "promptString",
      "description": "LiveDataLink API key",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "livedatalink": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://livedatalink.ai/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:livedatalink-key}"
      }
    }
  }
}
OpenAI Responses API

Pass LiveDataLink as a remote MCP tool with an authorization header.

const response = await openai.responses.create({
  model: "gpt-5.6",
  input: "Use LiveDataLink to answer the request.",
  tools: [{
    type: "mcp",
    server_label: "livedatalink",
    server_url: "https://livedatalink.ai/mcp",
    headers: { Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" },
    require_approval: "never"
  }]
});
Claude and Claude Desktop

Claude's current remote-connector flow accepts authless or OAuth servers and does not accept LiveDataLink's API-key header directly. Do not paste the older claude_desktop_config.json remote-URL example. OAuth support is the remaining prerequisite for a native Claude connector.

Raw JSON-RPC smoke test
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "fred_quick_indicator",
    "arguments": {
      "indicator": "cpi",
      "limit": 12
    }
  }
}

Send this body to https://livedatalink.ai/mcp with Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY.

All 284 tools run under the same key; the free tier gives you 1,000 queries/month with no card.

Related searches: fred mcp server · economic data api ai · cpi data chatgpt · unemployment data claude · federal reserve mcp.

FAQ

How do I how do i let an agent retrieve current cpi, unemployment, rates, gdp, or treasury yields?
Use friendly indicator names or exact FRED series IDs so an agent can answer macroeconomic questions with fresh Federal Reserve Economic Data observations. In LiveDataLink: fred_quick_indicator → fred_observations → fred_compare. A repeatable macro-data workflow with current observations rather than copied dashboard values.
What does this cost?
The free tier includes 1,000 queries/month with no credit card. Every tool in this recipe is callable on the free tier; paid plans start at $10/month for higher volume.
How do I connect?
Add https://livedatalink.ai/mcp as a Streamable-HTTP MCP server with a Bearer key in Claude, Cursor, or n8n, then call the tools in order. Get a free key at https://livedatalink.ai/signup/free.

Start free - 1,000 queries/month → Browse all 59 data domains