MCP servers

Choose the right GovTribe MCP server before loading tool definitions, especially when an agent can route among standard, compact, compatibility, and grouped GovTribe endpoints.

Use this reference when an agent can see GovTribe MCP server descriptions before it sees the individual tool definitions. Pick the server by client surface first, then by the record family or workflow the user is asking about.

Server routing is separate from tool argument selection. After the server is chosen, use the MCP tools reference for each tool's parameters, result shape, and examples.

Start with the client surface

External MCP clients do not always receive the same server list. Do not write agent instructions that assume a ChatGPT, Claude, or other hosted submission can switch to sibling GovTribe endpoints unless that endpoint is actually configured in that client.

Agents use the servers that the client has already configured. Developers who need concrete public URLs for the standard, compact, compatibility, or grouped GovTribe MCP servers can use GovTribe MCP server URLs.

Client surface	Server choice	Agent guidance
Standard GovTribe MCP connection	GovTribe MCP server	Use the public GovTribe MCP server when the client needs GovTribe data lookup, workspace workflows, file retrieval, interactive app rendering, documentation, prompts, or multiple GovTribe tool families in one conversation. It is the self-contained server used by the customer setup guides.
Compact MCP connection	GovTribe Compact MCP server	Use the compact server when the client is configured for standard GovTribe MCP capabilities with a smaller top-level catalog at `/mcp/compact`. It exposes the standard server's non-typed-search tools, resources, and prompts, while `Invoke_Search_Tool` represents typed GovTribe search tools. `Search_GovTribe` and `Search_Vector_Store` remain top-level.
OpenAI compatibility connection	GovTribe OpenAI compatibility server	Use the compatibility server when the OpenAI-hosted client is configured for the existing curated endpoint. It exposes documentation, direct top-level search tools for the supported federal, vendor, file, category, Service Contract Inventory, and workspace pursuit search families, vector-store retrieval, and limited pursuit or saved-search actions.
Runtime with multiple GovTribe endpoints configured	Dedicated grouped servers	Choose the grouped server whose description matches the task. Start with GovTribe Search when the target record type, GovTribe ID, or raw identifier meaning is unclear, then move to the typed server once the record family is known.

Route in this order

Determine whether the client has one GovTribe server or multiple GovTribe endpoints configured.
Use Search GovTribe first when a raw identifier, URL, name, or natural-language description could refer to more than one record type.
Load the typed record-family server only after the target family is known.
Treat ids and *_ids arguments in typed tools as GovTribe IDs unless the field description explicitly lists another supported identifier type. Use a matching filter for supported raw identifiers, or use Search GovTribe first when that tool is available and the identifier's record type is unclear.
Use fields_to_return to keep typed search results scoped to the fields needed for the answer.
Cite returned URL fields such as govtribe_url, source_url, download_url, or pdf_url when they are present.
Use workspace search before workspace actions when the target workspace record ID is unknown.
Use file and vector tools after a file or file-bearing record has been found.
Use interactive app tools after search or action output when a chart, map, document viewer, option list, or structured input panel would be clearer than text.

Public, compact, and compatibility servers

GovTribe MCP server

Use the GovTribe MCP server for broad external MCP connections. It covers public procurement intelligence and authenticated workspace workflows in one server, including integrated search, typed search tools, pricing data, workspace actions, vector and file tools, interactive apps, documentation, and prompts.

When an external client is configured only with this server, keep all routing inside the tools that this server exposes. Do not tell the model to switch to a dedicated Federal Contracts, Pricing Data, or Workspace Actions server unless that separate endpoint is also configured in the client.

GovTribe Compact MCP server

Use the Compact MCP server when a client needs standard GovTribe MCP capabilities with a smaller top-level tool catalog. It mirrors the standard server's non-typed-search tools, resources, and prompts, while typed GovTribe search tools are represented through Invoke Search Tool.

For typed search, the Compact MCP server lists Invoke_Search_Tool instead of listing each represented Search_* tool at top level. Use the Documentation MCP tool first for search query and search_mode guidance when needed, then use mode: "describe" with a selected tool_name to retrieve that search tool's exact schema and docs. Use mode: "call" with the selected tool arguments after reading the descriptor. The underlying search tool still owns validation, access checks, billing preflight, and response shape.

Search_GovTribe remains top-level for broad record resolution, and Search_Vector_Store remains top-level for file/vector retrieval after Add_To_Vector_Store.

GovTribe OpenAI compatibility server

Use the OpenAI compatibility server only when that curated endpoint is the one configured for the client. It is narrower than the full GovTribe MCP server and is intended for OpenAI-hosted MCP clients that need documentation, direct core federal contract search, vendor search, file search, vector-store, and limited workspace workflows.

For search, the compatibility server lists the supported Search_* tools directly at top level. Use those direct tool schemas the same way you use other typed GovTribe search tools.

The compatibility server is not the right place for federal grants, state and local records, automations, BLS wage lookups, GSA labor-rate search, line-item pricing search, interactive app rendering, or prompt discovery. If a workflow requires those capabilities, the client needs a GovTribe endpoint that exposes them.

Search and record-family servers

Use these servers when the agent runtime can choose among grouped GovTribe endpoints before loading tool definitions.

Server	Load it when	Prefer another server when
GovTribe Search	The record type, GovTribe ID, or raw identifier meaning is unclear. It can resolve PIID, UEI, CAGE, agency code, NAICS, PSC, document IDs, names, links, and natural-language descriptions into candidate GovTribe records. Its output includes resolver hints for the typed `Search_*` tool to call next.	The target record family is already known and the task needs typed filters, field projection, aggregations, or action tools.
Federal Contracts	The task is federal contracting: agencies, opportunities, forecasts, awards, IDVs, vehicles, vehicle subcategories, sub-awards, transactions, GAO bid protests, NAICS, PSC, or major defense programs. It exposes typed search tools and federal contract detail resources.	Use Pricing Data for Service Contract Inventory, labor footprint, or pricing evidence. Use Federal Grants for grants and State and Local Contracts for state or local procurement.
Pricing Data	The task is pricing, labor-rate, service-labor, or contractor-reliance analysis. It covers BLS occupational wage data, GSA Schedule labor-rate rows, awarded line-item pricing evidence, and Service Contract Inventory records. It exposes pricing data tools, typed pricing search tools, and Service Contract Inventory detail resources.	Use Federal Contracts or State and Local Contracts for general opportunity, award, vehicle, or agency lookup.
Federal Grants	The task is federal grants: grant opportunities, programs, awards, sub-awards, or grant-related transactions. It exposes typed search tools.	Use Federal Contracts for procurement contracts. Use GovTribe Search first when the user gives an identifier without a known record family.
State and Local Contracts	The task is state, local, education, or related public-sector procurement: opportunities, awards, IDVs, vehicles, jurisdictions, states, NIGP, or UNSPSC classifications. It exposes typed search tools.	Use Federal Contracts for federal procurement, Federal Grants for grants, and GovTribe Search when the record family is unclear.
Vendor Profiles	The task is a company, vendor, recipient, UEI, CAGE, certification, or related award and grant context. It exposes typed vendor search tools.	Use GovTribe Search first when the raw identifier might point to an award, grant, agency, category, or another non-vendor record.
Government Contracting Contacts	The task is a detailed contact profile for government buyers or industry participants. It exposes typed contact search tools.	Use Vendor Profiles for company profiles, Federal Contracts for agencies or procurement records, and Workspace Search for workspace users.
Government Files	The task is to find or cite SOWs, RFPs, RFIs, spreadsheets, attachments, and other files GovTribe captured from procurement records. It exposes typed government-file search tools.	Use Add To Conversation after finding a file when hosted retrieval, vector search, or shell/container access is needed. Use the parent record-family server for opportunity or award details.
Government Procurement News	The task is current procurement, contracting, acquisition, or spending news from GovExec network publications. It exposes typed news search tools.	Use official record-family servers for opportunities, awards, vendors, grants, state and local records, or workspace records.

Workspace, action, and context servers

Use these servers for authenticated workspace data, workflow changes, files, documentation, app rendering, durable memory, and prior conversation context.

Server	Load it when	Prefer another server when
Workspace Search	The task is read-only lookup of authenticated workspace data: users, uploaded files, pipelines, pursuits, saved searches, contact groups, stages, tags, or tasks. It exposes typed workspace search tools.	Use public record-family servers for procurement records, vendor profiles, grants, or state and local records. Use Workspace Actions when the user wants to create, update, or delete workspace records.
Workspace Actions	The user wants to create, update, or delete workspace entities such as pipelines, pursuits, saved searches, contact groups, stages, tags, tasks, or automations. It exposes workspace action tools only.	Use Workspace Search first for read-only lookup or when target GovTribe IDs are unknown. Use public search servers first when an action should link to an opportunity, award, vendor, grant, or other public record.
Automations	The task is a scheduled or event-driven GovTribe AI automation, such as saved-search triage, pipeline and pursuit review, proposal-change checks, pricing pulses, buyer intelligence, or competitor monitoring. It exposes automation search and create, update, delete, and test-run action tools.	Use search servers first to identify procurement records. Do not use Automations for ordinary public record search.
Add To Conversation	The next step needs hosted file-search retrieval or shell/container access to known GovTribe user files, government files, or file-bearing records. It exposes file and vector attachment action tools only.	Use Government Files or Workspace Search first when the target file is unknown.
Documentation	The agent needs GovTribe MCP docs, guides, or tool usage reference that is not already clear from visible instructions. It exposes documentation retrieval tools.	Use record-family, workspace, file, or vector servers for data retrieval. Documentation is not a procurement search server.
Interactive	The user should click, select, inspect a document, view a chart or map, or submit structured input inside the conversation. It exposes app-render tools and MCP app resources.	Use the relevant search or action server first. Interactive tools render or manage app views; they do not retrieve the underlying data by themselves.
Memory	The task needs durable user preferences, stable facts, or long-term working context. Search memory before creating, updating, or deleting entries, and update an existing memory when possible.	Do not store ephemeral task details, procurement records, or PII. Use workspace or public search servers for operational records.
Prior conversation search	Full Conversation Recall is enabled and prior GovTribe AI conversation context would materially help answer the current request. It exposes prior conversation search tools.	Do not run it for every prompt, and do not use it for public procurement record search.

MCP tools: Review callable tools, valid arguments, task-shaped examples, and tool-specific response links.
Invoke Search Tool MCP tool: Describe and call represented search tools on the Compact MCP server.
Search GovTribe MCP tool: Resolve unclear identifiers, record types, names, URLs, and natural-language descriptions before choosing a typed search tool.
Vector-store content retrieval: Stage files, poll readiness, and search staged file text when metadata and snippets are not enough.
Interactive MCP apps: Choose when to render charts, KPI cards, maps, documents, structured input apps, or interaction state.
GovTribe MCP server URLs: Configure the standard, compact, compatibility, or grouped GovTribe MCP URLs in developer clients that support multiple remote MCP servers.

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