Samgov

Sam Search Exclusions

sam_search_exclusions

Read-onlyIdempotent

Search the SAM.gov Exclusions list — parties DEBARRED, suspended, or otherwise excluded from receiving federal contracts, grants, or assistance. Answers "is this company/person barred from federal contracting" for KYB / vendor-vetting / procurement due diligence. Filter by name, US state, and classification (Firm / Individual / Vessel / Special Entity). Returns each excluded party with the exclusion type, program, excluding agency, and active/termination dates. Distinct from OFAC sanctions (see sanctions_screen) — this is the federal procurement debarment list.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`uei`	No	Optional — check one specific UEI against the debarment list. More reliable than a name for KYB, since names collide and are transcribed inconsistently.
`name`	No	Name to search (company or individual), e.g. "Smith Construction". Matched against the excluded party name; an exact UEI also matches. Optional if you pass `uei` instead — supply one of the two.
`limit`	No	Number of results (1-100, default 10).
`state`	No	Optional 2-letter US state to filter by, e.g. "VA".
`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 Exclusions extract, which is refreshed daily.
`classification`	No	Optional classification: "Firm", "Individual", "Vessel", or "Special Entity Designation".
`include_terminated`	No	Accepted, but it currently changes NOTHING — SAM.gov's daily Exclusions extract carries only exclusions in force, so there are no terminated records for it to add. Measured 2026-09-13 over 400 sampled rows across four names with the filter explicitly disabled: zero carried a termination date in the past. Read an empty result as "not debarred TODAY", never as "never debarred" — a bar that has since ended is absent from this source entirely.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed4 schema fields changedSep 20, 2026

changedInput schema / examples

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "limit": 2,
-    "name": "Smith"
-  },
-  {
-    "name": "Smith Construction",
-    "state": "VA"
-  },
-  {
-    "classification": "Individual",
-    "limit": 5,
-    "name": "John Doe"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "limit": 2,
+    "name": "Smith"
+  },
+  {
+    "uei": "NZJHL7G6CZV5"
+  },
+  {
+    "classification": "Firm",
+    "limit": 20,
+    "name": "Construction"
+  },
+  {
+    "limit": 2,
+    "name": "Smith",
+    "state": "TX"
+  }
+]

changedInput schema / properties / include_terminated / description

Previous value: -"Include exclusions that have already been terminated (default false — only exclusions in force are returned). A terminated exclusion is a historical fact, not a current bar."New value: +"Accepted, but it currently changes NOTHING — SAM.gov's daily Exclusions extract carries only exclusions in force, so there are no terminated records for it to add. Measured 2026-09-13 over 400 sampled rows across four names with the filter explicitly disabled: zero carried a termination date in the past. Read an empty result as \"not debarred TODAY\", never as \"never debarred\" — a bar that has since ended is absent from this source entirely."

changedInput schema / properties / name / description

Previous value: -"Name to search (company or individual), e.g. \"Smith Construction\". Matched against the excluded party name; an exact UEI also matches."New value: +"Name to search (company or individual), e.g. \"Smith Construction\". Matched against the excluded party name; an exact UEI also matches. Optional if you pass `uei` instead — supply one of the two."

changedInput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "name"
-]New value: +[]

Changed1 schema field changedSep 2, 2026

changedInput schema / examples

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "_apiKey": "your-samgov-api-key",
-    "name": "Smith Construction",
-    "state": "VA"
-  },
-  {
-    "_apiKey": "your-samgov-api-key",
-    "classification": "Individual",
-    "limit": 5,
-    "name": "John Doe"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "limit": 2,
+    "name": "Smith"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "Smith Construction",
+    "state": "VA"
+  },
+  {
+    "classification": "Individual",
+    "limit": 5,
+    "name": "John Doe"
+  }
+]

Changed6 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 Exclusions extract, which is refreshed daily."

addedInput schema / properties / include_terminated

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Include exclusions that have already been terminated (default false — only exclusions in force are returned). A terminated exclusion is a historical fact, not a current bar.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / name / description

Previous value: -"Name to search (company or individual), e.g. \"Smith Construction\". Matched against the exclusion name."New value: +"Name to search (company or individual), e.g. \"Smith Construction\". Matched against the excluded party name; an exact UEI also matches."

addedInput schema / properties / offset

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

addedInput schema / properties / uei

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional — check one specific UEI against the debarment list. More reliable than a name for KYB, since names collide and are transcribed inconsistently.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedInput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "name",
-  "_apiKey"
-]New value: +[
+  "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 changedJul 29, 2026

addedInput schema / examples

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "_apiKey": "your-samgov-api-key",
+    "name": "Smith Construction",
+    "state": "VA"
+  },
+  {
+    "_apiKey": "your-samgov-api-key",
+    "classification": "Individual",
+    "limit": 5,
+    "name": "John Doe"
+  }
+]

AddedJul 20, 2026

TDQS

A4.7/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, openWorldHint, idempotentHint, and destructiveHint=false, but the description adds significant behavioral context: it searches a local daily-refreshed snapshot, and the include_terminated parameter disclosure is a standout—it honestly states that the parameter changes nothing and explains why, plus warns that an empty result means 'not debarred today' not 'never debarred.' This goes far beyond what annotations convey.

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 a single tight paragraph that front-loads the purpose, then use cases, capabilities, and differentiation. No redundant sentences—every clause earns its place. The include_terminated disclosure is appropriately placed in the schema rather than bloating the main description.

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?

With no output schema, the description explains what each result includes (exclusion type, program, agency, dates). It covers the key behavioral nuance (snapshot freshness, no terminated records) and explicitly warns about interpretation of empty results. For an 8-parameter search tool, this is complete—an agent knows what it will get and how to interpret it.

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

Parameters3/5

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

Schema coverage is 100% and each parameter has a rich description (e.g., uei explains collision risk, include_terminated explains its no-op behavior). The tool description itself adds little per-parameter meaning beyond what the schema already provides, so it meets the baseline of 3 without exceeding it.

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 uses a specific verb ('Search'), names the exact resource (SAM.gov Exclusions list), and states the exact question it answers ('is this company/person barred from federal contracting'). It explicitly distinguishes itself from OFAC sanctions and from sibling tools like sam_entity_search and sam_search_opportunities by focusing on debarment. An agent can immediately tell when to pick this tool.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

It provides clear use cases (KYB, vendor vetting, procurement due diligence) and explicitly names the alternative (sanctions_screen) and why this tool is different. The include_terminated parameter also explains a critical when-not-to-use nuance: this tool cannot tell you if someone was debarred in the past. That is explicit routing guidance.

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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Sam Search Exclusions

Input Schema

Schema Changelog

TDQS

Glama MCP Gateway

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