Samgov

Sam Entity Search

sam_entity_search

Read-onlyIdempotent

Look up federal contractors registered in SAM.gov by business name, UEI, or CAGE code. Returns UEI, CAGE, legal and DBA name, address, NAICS and PSC codes, entity structure, registration and expiration dates, small-business/SBA certifications, and whether the entity carries an exclusion flag. Answers keyless from a local mirror of SAM.gov's public Entity Registration extract, ranking an exact UEI/CAGE/legal-name match above any fuzzy name hit and active registrations above expired ones. Every response carries a mirror field with the snapshot date and its age in days — the public entity extract is published MONTHLY, so an answer can legitimately be several weeks old; pass live:true with an API key when you need the registry as of today.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`live`	No	Force a live SAM.gov API lookup instead of the mirror. Needs _apiKey. Use only when you specifically need registrations changed since the mirror snapshot — the live entity API is capped at 10 requests/day on the shared platform key.
`limit`	No	Number of results (1-100, default 10).
`naics`	No	Filter by NAICS code (optional) — matches the primary NAICS or any NAICS the entity lists.
`state`	No	Filter by 2-letter US state code (e.g., "VA", "CA")
`offset`	No	Rows to skip for paging (default 0).
`_apiKey`	No	Optional — omit it. This search answers keyless from the local snapshot of SAM.gov's public Entity Registration extract; a key is needed only for live:true.
`active_only`	No	Only entities with an active registration (default false — expired registrations are returned but sorted below active ones).
`business_name`	Yes	What to search for: a legal/DBA business name, or an exact UEI or CAGE code. Accepts query / q / name as aliases.
`small_business`	No	Filter to only small business entities (optional)

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`entities`	Yes
`total_records`	Yes	Total number of matching entities in SAM

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedSep 20, 2026
- changedOutput schema / properties / entities / items / properties / sba_certifications / type
```
Previous value: -"array"New value: +[
+  "array",
+  "null"
+]
```

Changed1 schema field changedSep 2, 2026

changedInput schema / examples

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "_apiKey": "your-samgov-api-key",
-    "business_name": "Acme Tech Solutions",
-    "state": "VA"
-  },
-  {
-    "_apiKey": "your-samgov-api-key",
-    "business_name": "GreenTech Inc",
-    "naics": "541511",
-    "small_business": true
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "business_name": "Lockheed Martin Corporation",
+    "limit": 2
+  },
+  {
+    "business_name": "CH5WNENNFHX5"
+  },
+  {
+    "business_name": "GreenTech",
+    "naics": "541511",
+    "small_business": true,
+    "state": "VA"
+  }
+]

Changed8 schema fields changedSep 2, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / _apiKey / description

Previous value: -"SAM.gov API key — required. Free at https://sam.gov/content/entity-information; a key on an account with a SAM.gov role allows 1,000 requests/day."New value: +"Optional — omit it. This search answers keyless from the local snapshot of SAM.gov's public Entity Registration extract; a key is needed only for live:true."

addedInput schema / properties / active_only

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Only entities with an active registration (default false — expired registrations are returned but sorted below active ones).",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / business_name / description

Previous value: -"Legal business name to search for"New value: +"What to search for: a legal/DBA business name, or an exact UEI or CAGE code. Accepts query / q / name as aliases."

addedInput schema / properties / limit

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Number of results (1-100, default 10).",
+  "type": "number"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / live

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Force a live SAM.gov API lookup instead of the mirror. Needs _apiKey. Use only when you specifically need registrations changed since the mirror snapshot — the live entity API is capped at 10 requests/day on the shared platform key.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / naics / description

Previous value: -"Filter by primary NAICS code (optional)"New value: +"Filter by NAICS code (optional) — matches the primary NAICS or any NAICS the entity lists."

addedInput schema / properties / offset

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Rows to skip for paging (default 0).",
+  "type": "number"
+}

changedInput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "business_name",
-  "_apiKey"
-]New value: +[
+  "business_name"
+]

Changed1 schema field changedSep 1, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / _apiKey / description

Previous value: -"SAM.gov API key"New value: +"SAM.gov API key — required. Free at https://sam.gov/content/entity-information; a key on an account with a SAM.gov role allows 1,000 requests/day."

Changed1 schema field changedMay 8, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "entities": {
+      "items": {
+        "properties": {
+          "address": {
+            "description": "Physical business address",
+            "properties": {
+              "city": {
+                "description": "City",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "country": {
+                "description": "Country code",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "line1": {
+                "description": "Address line 1",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "state": {
+                "description": "State or province code",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              },
+              "zip": {
+                "description": "Zip/postal code",
+                "type": [
+                  "string",
+                  "null"
+                ]
+              }
+            },
+            "type": "object"
+          },
+          "business_types": {
+            "description": "List of business type classifications",
+            "items": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "type": "array"
+          },
+          "cage_code": {
+            "description": "CAGE Code identifier",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "dba_name": {
+            "description": "Doing Business As name",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "entity_url": {
+            "description": "Entity website URL",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "expiration_date": {
+            "description": "SAM registration expiration date",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "legal_business_name": {
+            "description": "Legal business name",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "primary_naics": {
+            "description": "Primary NAICS code",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "registration_date": {
+            "description": "Date of initial SAM registration",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "registration_status": {
+            "description": "SAM registration status",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "sba_certifications": {
+            "description": "SBA business type certifications held",
+            "items": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "type": "array"
+          },
+          "uei": {
+            "description": "Unique Entity Identifier",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          }
+        },
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "total_records": {
+      "description": "Total number of matching entities in SAM",
+      "type": "number"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "total_records",
+    "entities"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedMay 6, 2026

addedInput schema / examples

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "_apiKey": "your-samgov-api-key",
+    "business_name": "Acme Tech Solutions",
+    "state": "VA"
+  },
+  {
+    "_apiKey": "your-samgov-api-key",
+    "business_name": "GreenTech Inc",
+    "naics": "541511",
+    "small_business": true
+  }
+]

First observedApr 22, 2026

TDQS

A4.7/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

Goes well beyond the annotations by disclosing data staleness (monthly mirror snapshot), exact-match versus fuzzy ranking behavior, active-above-expired ordering, the response `mirror` field, and live-mode rate limits. This is precisely the kind of behavioral context an agent needs before trusting or acting on results, and it does not contradict the readOnly/openWorld/idempotent annotations.

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?

The description is dense but every sentence earns its place: core purpose, return fields, keyless mirror behavior, ranking logic, freshness caveat, and live-mode alternative. It is front-loaded with the most important action and scoping information, with no filler or repetition of schema details.

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

Completeness5/5

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

Given nine parameters and the presence of an output schema, the description covers all non-obvious operational context: data source, update frequency, exact-match ranking, active/expired sorting, live-mode key requirement and rate cap, and snapshot metadata. An agent can call this tool correctly without needing external documentation.

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 coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3. The description adds meaningful semantics beyond the schema: business_name accepts exact UEI/CAGE codes as well as legal/DBA names, exact matches rank above fuzzy ones, and live:true requires an API key and has a tight rate limit. This enriches what an agent can infer from the schema alone.

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?

The description names a specific verb-resource pair ('Look up federal contractors registered in SAM.gov') and enumerates the exact identifiers accepted (business name, UEI, CAGE) and fields returned. This clearly distinguishes it from sibling opportunity/exclusion search tools without needing to open 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 Guidelines4/5

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

Provides clear context and explicit conditional guidance: use the mirror by default, pass live:true when freshness as of today matters, and avoid live mode because the API is capped at 10 requests/day. It does not explicitly name sibling alternatives like sam_search_exclusions or sam_search_opportunities, but it gives enough situational context for an agent to decide when to use this tool.

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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