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usaspending-mcp-server

Spending Over Time

usaspending_spending_over_time
Read-onlyIdempotent

Fetch aggregated federal obligation amounts grouped by fiscal year, fiscal quarter, or fiscal month. All grouping is relative to the US government fiscal year (Oct–Sep), so fiscal month 1 is October, not January. Filter by award type, agency, recipient, keyword, NAICS code, Assistance Listing, PSC, or DEF code to trace spending trends in a specific area; award types default to contracts. Returns per-period totals and optional breakdowns by award category (contracts, grants, direct payments, IDVs, loans, other).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
groupYesTime grouping: fiscal_year (annual US govt FY: Oct–Sep), quarter (fiscal quarter), or month (fiscal month — an ordinal within the fiscal year, where 1 = October)
filtersNoFilters to scope the time-series aggregation. Defaults to contract awards when omitted.
subawardsNoAggregate subaward data instead of prime award data

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
errorNoPresent when the call failed. Absent on success.
groupNoTime grouping used
noticeNoNames a time-window bound that was filled in because only the other was supplied, and — when no periods are returned — names any Assistance Listing, PSC, or DEF codes sent and suggests broadening filters. Absent when neither applies.
resultsNoTime-series of obligation totals
time_groupNoTime grouping applied: fiscal_year, quarter, or month
period_countNoNumber of time periods returned
total_periodsNoNumber of time periods returned
applied_keywordsNoKeyword filters applied (comma-separated)
applied_def_codesNoDEF codes sent, uppercased (comma-separated)
applied_psc_codesNoPSC codes sent, uppercased (comma-separated)
applied_agency_nameNoAwarding agency name filter applied
applied_naics_codesNoNAICS code filters applied (comma-separated)
applied_time_period_endNoEnd of the time window sent (YYYY-MM-DD), including a filled-in end
applied_time_period_startNoStart of the time window sent (YYYY-MM-DD), including a filled-in start
applied_assistance_listingsNoAssistance Listing numbers sent (comma-separated)

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed12 schema fields changed
    • addedInput schema / properties / filters / additionalProperties
      Added value: +false
    • changedInput schema / properties / filters / properties / agency_name / description
      Previous value: -"Awarding agency name filter"New value: +"Awarding agency name filter, top-tier only (e.g., \"Department of Defense\") — the toptier_name from usaspending_autocomplete_filters type=awarding_agency; a sub-agency name matches nothing"
    • addedInput schema / properties / filters / properties / assistance_listings
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Filter by Assistance Listing (CFDA) program numbers, e.g. [\"15.507\"]: two digits, a dot, then three digits or capital letters (11.67A). Matches an award when any of its listings equals one of these exactly; several values match any of them. A matching award's primary listing can differ from the one requested, and amounts cover the whole award, not that listing's share. Only assistance awards (grants, direct payments, loans, other assistance) carry listings, so a call whose award types are all contracts or IDVs — including a contract default — is rejected as assistance_listings_type_mismatch. Use usaspending_autocomplete_filters type=cfda to look up numbers.",
      +  "items": {
      +    "description": "Assistance Listing number, e.g. 15.507",
      +    "pattern": "^\\d{2}\\.[0-9A-Z]{3}$",
      +    "type": "string"
      +  },
      +  "type": "array"
      +}
    • changedInput schema / properties / filters / properties / award_type_codes / description
      Previous value: -"Award type code filters (A/B/C/D, 02–05, etc.). All codes must belong to a single group. When omitted, defaults to contracts (A, B, C, D)."New value: +"Award type code filters (A/B/C/D, 02–05, etc.); groups may be mixed. When omitted, defaults to contracts (A, B, C, D)."
    • addedInput schema / properties / filters / properties / def_codes
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Filter by Disaster Emergency Fund Codes (DEF), e.g. [\"Z\"], or [\"L\", \"M\", \"N\", \"O\", \"P\"] for COVID-19: 1–3 letters or digits, sent uppercased — the codes usaspending_disaster_spending takes and usaspending_get_agency lists. Matches awards of any type funded under any of these codes. Amounts cover the whole matching award, not the share funded by the code, and DEF-filtered totals can be negative. An unknown code is rejected with the list of codes USAspending accepts.",
      +  "items": {
      +    "description": "Disaster Emergency Fund Code, e.g. Z or L",
      +    "pattern": "^[0-9A-Za-z]{1,3}$",
      +    "type": "string"
      +  },
      +  "type": "array"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / filters / properties / psc_codes
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Filter by Product and Service Codes (PSC), e.g. [\"Y1NE\"]: 1–4 letters or digits, sent uppercased. A shorter code covers every code under it (\"Y1\" covers \"Y1NE\"); several values match any of them. Only contracts and IDVs carry a PSC, so a call whose award types are all assistance types is rejected as psc_codes_type_mismatch, and pairing psc_codes with assistance_listings matches nothing, since no award carries both. Use usaspending_autocomplete_filters type=psc to look up codes.",
      +  "items": {
      +    "description": "Product and Service Code or prefix, e.g. Y1NE or Y1",
      +    "pattern": "^[0-9A-Za-z]{1,4}$",
      +    "type": "string"
      +  },
      +  "type": "array"
      +}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / applied_assistance_listings
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Assistance Listing numbers sent (comma-separated)",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / applied_def_codes
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "DEF codes sent, uppercased (comma-separated)",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / applied_psc_codes
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "PSC codes sent, uppercased (comma-separated)",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / description
      Previous value: -"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `api_unavailable`: USAspending.gov API is unreachable or returns an error. `api_timeout`: USAspending.gov did not respond before the request deadline elapsed. `date_range_inverted`: Both filters.time_period_start and filters.time_period_end were supplied and the start falls after the end. `date_before_earliest`: The resolved start date precedes the 2007-10-01 earliest date this endpoint can search. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."New value: +"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `api_unavailable`: USAspending.gov API is unreachable or returns an error. `api_timeout`: USAspending.gov did not respond before the request deadline elapsed. `date_range_inverted`: Both filters.time_period_start and filters.time_period_end were supplied and the start falls after the end. `date_before_earliest`: The resolved start date precedes the 2007-10-01 earliest date this endpoint can search. `assistance_listings_type_mismatch`: filters.assistance_listings was given while every code in filters.award_type_codes is a contract or IDV code, or award_type_codes was left at its contract default. `psc_codes_type_mismatch`: filters.psc_codes was given while every code in filters.award_type_codes is an assistance code. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."
    • changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / examples
      Previous value: -[
      -  "api_unavailable",
      -  "api_timeout",
      -  "date_range_inverted",
      -  "date_before_earliest"
      -]New value: +[
      +  "api_unavailable",
      +  "api_timeout",
      +  "date_range_inverted",
      +  "date_before_earliest",
      +  "assistance_listings_type_mismatch",
      +  "psc_codes_type_mismatch"
      +]
    • changedOutput schema / properties / notice / description
      Previous value: -"Names a time-window bound that was filled in because only the other was supplied, and suggests broadening filters when no periods are returned. Absent when neither applies."New value: +"Names a time-window bound that was filled in because only the other was supplied, and — when no periods are returned — names any Assistance Listing, PSC, or DEF codes sent and suggests broadening filters. Absent when neither applies."
  2. Changed11 schema fields changed
    • addedInput schema / properties / filters / properties / time_period_end / anyOf
      Added value: +[
      +  {
      +    "const": "",
      +    "type": "string"
      +  },
      +  {
      +    "description": "Date as YYYY-MM-DD; month and day may be unpadded",
      +    "pattern": "^\\d{4}-\\d{1,2}-\\d{1,2}$",
      +    "type": "string"
      +  }
      +]
    • changedInput schema / properties / filters / properties / time_period_end / description
      Previous value: -"End of the time window (YYYY-MM-DD)"New value: +"End of the time window (YYYY-MM-DD). Given alone, the window starts at 2007-10-01, the earliest searchable date."
    • removedInput schema / properties / filters / properties / time_period_end / type
      Removed value: -"string"
    • addedInput schema / properties / filters / properties / time_period_start / anyOf
      Added value: +[
      +  {
      +    "const": "",
      +    "type": "string"
      +  },
      +  {
      +    "description": "Date as YYYY-MM-DD; month and day may be unpadded",
      +    "pattern": "^\\d{4}-\\d{1,2}-\\d{1,2}$",
      +    "type": "string"
      +  }
      +]
    • changedInput schema / properties / filters / properties / time_period_start / description
      Previous value: -"Start of the time window (YYYY-MM-DD)"New value: +"Start of the time window (YYYY-MM-DD), 2007-10-01 or later. Given alone, the window runs through today (UTC)."
    • removedInput schema / properties / filters / properties / time_period_start / type
      Removed value: -"string"
    • changedOutput schema / properties / applied_time_period_end / description
      Previous value: -"End date filter applied (YYYY-MM-DD)"New value: +"End of the time window sent (YYYY-MM-DD), including a filled-in end"
    • changedOutput schema / properties / applied_time_period_start / description
      Previous value: -"Start date filter applied (YYYY-MM-DD)"New value: +"Start of the time window sent (YYYY-MM-DD), including a filled-in start"
    • changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / description
      Previous value: -"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `api_unavailable`: USAspending.gov API is unreachable or returns an error. `api_timeout`: USAspending.gov did not respond before the request deadline elapsed. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."New value: +"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `api_unavailable`: USAspending.gov API is unreachable or returns an error. `api_timeout`: USAspending.gov did not respond before the request deadline elapsed. `date_range_inverted`: Both filters.time_period_start and filters.time_period_end were supplied and the start falls after the end. `date_before_earliest`: The resolved start date precedes the 2007-10-01 earliest date this endpoint can search. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."
    • changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / examples
      Previous value: -[
      -  "api_unavailable",
      -  "api_timeout"
      -]New value: +[
      +  "api_unavailable",
      +  "api_timeout",
      +  "date_range_inverted",
      +  "date_before_earliest"
      +]
    • changedOutput schema / properties / notice / description
      Previous value: -"Recovery hint when no periods are returned — suggests broadening filters. Absent when results are present."New value: +"Names a time-window bound that was filled in because only the other was supplied, and suggests broadening filters when no periods are returned. Absent when neither applies."
  3. Changed6 schema fields changed
    • changedInput schema / $schema
      Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"
    • addedInput schema / additionalProperties
      Added value: +false
    • changedOutput schema / $schema
      Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"
    • addedOutput schema / anyOf
      Added value: +[
      +  {
      +    "not": {
      +      "required": [
      +        "error"
      +      ]
      +    },
      +    "required": [
      +      "group",
      +      "results",
      +      "total_periods",
      +      "time_group",
      +      "period_count"
      +    ]
      +  },
      +  {
      +    "required": [
      +      "error"
      +    ]
      +  }
      +]
    • addedOutput schema / properties / error
      Added value: +{
      +  "additionalProperties": {},
      +  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
      +  "properties": {
      +    "code": {
      +      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
      +      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
      +      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
      +      "type": "integer"
      +    },
      +    "data": {
      +      "additionalProperties": {},
      +      "properties": {
      +        "reason": {
      +          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `api_unavailable`: USAspending.gov API is unreachable or returns an error. `api_timeout`: USAspending.gov did not respond before the request deadline elapsed. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
      +          "examples": [
      +            "api_unavailable",
      +            "api_timeout"
      +          ],
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        "recovery": {
      +          "additionalProperties": {},
      +          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
      +          "properties": {
      +            "hint": {
      +              "type": "string"
      +            }
      +          },
      +          "required": [
      +            "hint"
      +          ],
      +          "type": "object"
      +        },
      +        "retryable": {
      +          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
      +          "type": "boolean"
      +        }
      +      },
      +      "type": "object"
      +    },
      +    "message": {
      +      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
      +      "type": "string"
      +    }
      +  },
      +  "required": [
      +    "code",
      +    "message"
      +  ],
      +  "type": "object"
      +}
    • removedOutput schema / required
      Removed value: -[
      -  "group",
      -  "results",
      -  "total_periods",
      -  "time_group",
      -  "period_count"
      -]
  4. Changed1 schema field changed
    • addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / idvs
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "IDV (Indefinite Delivery Vehicle) obligation amount in USD for this period",
      +  "type": "number"
      +}
  5. Changed4 schema fields changed
    • changedInput schema / properties / group / description
      Previous value: -"Time grouping: fiscal_year (annual US govt FY: Oct–Sep), quarter (fiscal quarter), or month (calendar month)"New value: +"Time grouping: fiscal_year (annual US govt FY: Oct–Sep), quarter (fiscal quarter), or month (fiscal month — an ordinal within the fiscal year, where 1 = October)"
    • changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / time_period / description
      Previous value: -"Time period for this row"New value: +"Time period for this row. Populated per the requested grouping: fiscal_year alone, fiscal_year + quarter, or fiscal_year + month."
    • removedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / time_period / properties / calendar_year
      Removed value: -{
      -  "description": "Calendar year",
      -  "type": "string"
      -}
    • changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / time_period / properties / month / description
      Previous value: -"Calendar month (1–12)"New value: +"Fiscal month: an ordinal within fiscal_year, 1–12, where 1 = October and 12 = September. Fiscal month 1 of FY2025 is October 2024 — not January."
  6. Changed5 schema fields changed
    • addedOutput schema / properties / applied_agency_name
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Awarding agency name filter applied",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / applied_keywords
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Keyword filters applied (comma-separated)",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / applied_naics_codes
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "NAICS code filters applied (comma-separated)",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / applied_time_period_end
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "End date filter applied (YYYY-MM-DD)",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / applied_time_period_start
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Start date filter applied (YYYY-MM-DD)",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
  7. Changed1 schema field changed
    • addedOutput schema / properties / notice
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Recovery hint when no periods are returned — suggests broadening filters. Absent when results are present.",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
  8. Changed3 schema fields changed
    • addedOutput schema / properties / period_count
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Number of time periods returned",
      +  "type": "number"
      +}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / time_group
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Time grouping applied: fiscal_year, quarter, or month",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • changedOutput schema / required
      Previous value: -[
      -  "group",
      -  "results",
      -  "total_periods"
      -]New value: +[
      +  "group",
      +  "results",
      +  "total_periods",
      +  "time_group",
      +  "period_count"
      +]
  9. First observed

TDQS

A4.2/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already cover safety (readOnly, idempotent, openWorld), so the description's real value is the domain behavior it adds: fiscal-year alignment (Oct–Sep, fiscal month 1 = October), the default of contracts when award types are omitted, and the shape of the return (per-period totals plus optional award-category breakdowns). It stops short of mentioning the subawards=true aggregation mode that the schema exposes.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three sentences, front-loaded with the core grouping operation and the fiscal-year caveat an agent could easily get wrong. No filler; each clause carries either scope, a non-obvious default, or return shape.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With an output schema present, the description needn't explain return values, yet it still summarizes them usefully. The one real gap is that the boolean subawards toggle — which changes what is being aggregated — goes unmentioned in prose, though the schema documents it.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3, but the description adds interpretive value on top: it stresses that all grouping is fiscal rather than calendar and that fiscal month 1 is October, and it restates the contract default for award_type_codes. The subawards parameter is not addressed.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource — aggregated federal obligation amounts grouped by fiscal_year, quarter, or month — and the time-grouping axis inherently separates it from sibling aggregations like spending_by_category and spending_by_geography. An agent can tell what this returns without opening the schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It gives the intended goal ('trace spending trends in a specific area') and enumerates the available filter dimensions, which implies when to reach for it, but never names or excludes an alternative sibling tool (e.g. spending_by_category for categorical splits). Usage is inferable rather than stated.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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