# AIS Trail (remote · api.aistrail.com)

Live AIS ship positions, vessel history, port calls and events, plus sanctions flags. Read-only.

- Trust score: 78/100 (medium)
- Change this week: +10
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-11-05

## Components

- remote · `api.aistrail.com`: 78/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/com-aistrail-ais/api.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/com-aistrail-ais/api)

## Channel facts

- Endpoint: `https://api.aistrail.com/mcp`
- Transports: `streamable-http`
- Auth: `none`
- Version: `1.5.2`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-11-05.

- **Endpoint Security**: 74/100
  - The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key.
  - No authorisation is required to call this server. Every tool declares its destructiveHint and none is destructive, so open access doesn't expose one.
  - HTTPS is enforced; there's no plaintext access path.
  - HSTS check failed: the Strict-Transport-Security header is absent.
  - DNSSEC check failed: this domain isn't protected by DNSSEC.
- **Transport & Reachability**: 100/100
  - Verified streamable-http transport via a live MCP handshake.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 60/100
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).
  - Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 3218 tokens (~292/item across 11 items; 11 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 67/100
  - Stability observed for 20 of 30 days with no destabilising changes; credit accrues until the full window elapses.
- **Tool Coverage**: 100/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 100% of tool parameters carry a description.
- **Tool Safety**: 100/100
  - No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.
  - We read all 11 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.
  - An AI judge read all 12 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.
- **Capabilities**: 100/100
  - Implements a current MCP spec version (2026-07-28).

## Install

### How do I install the AIS Trail MCP server?

AIS Trail is a hosted endpoint at https://api.aistrail.com/mcp, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http com-aistrail-ais 'https://api.aistrail.com/mcp'
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "com-aistrail-ais": {
      "url": "https://api.aistrail.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "com-aistrail-ais": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.aistrail.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```toml
[mcp_servers.com-aistrail-ais]
url = "https://api.aistrail.com/mcp"
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "com-aistrail-ais": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://api.aistrail.com/mcp",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add com-aistrail-ais --url 'https://api.aistrail.com/mcp' --transport streamable-http
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  com-aistrail-ais:
    url: "https://api.aistrail.com/mcp"
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "com-aistrail-ais": {
      "Transport": "http",
      "Url": "https://api.aistrail.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add com-aistrail-ais -t streamable-http -u 'https://api.aistrail.com/mcp'
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "com-aistrail-ais": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.aistrail.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-11-05 (score 78, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 63 to 67. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 19 days of observed history at the previous scan, 20 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-11-03 (score 77, +1)

- [security] Tool “vessel_port_calls” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads

### 2026-11-02 (score 76, +5)

- [security improvement] HTTPS: unverified → pass

### 2026-11-01 (score 71, +2)

- [functional improvement] Tool coverage: 49% → 100%
- [functional] Schema quality: good → excellent
- [cosmetic] “find_port” reworded the description of “limit”
- [cosmetic] “port_calls” reworded the description of “event”
- [cosmetic] “port_calls” reworded the description of “port_id”
- [cosmetic] “search_vessels” reworded the description of “limit”
- [cosmetic] “vessel_events” reworded the description of “imo”
- [cosmetic] “vessel_events” reworded the description of “mmsi”
- [cosmetic] “vessel_port_calls” reworded the description of “imo”
- [cosmetic] “vessel_port_calls” reworded the description of “mmsi”
- [cosmetic] “vessel_track” reworded the description of “mmsi”
- [cosmetic] “vessel_track” reworded the description of “resolution”
- [cosmetic] “vessels_in_area” reworded the description of “limit”
- [cosmetic] “vessels_in_area” reworded the description of “max_lat”
- [cosmetic] “vessels_in_area” reworded the description of “max_lon”
- [cosmetic] “vessels_in_area” reworded the description of “min_lat”
- [cosmetic] “vessels_in_area” reworded the description of “min_lon”
- [cosmetic] “vessels_near” reworded the description of “lat”
- [cosmetic] “vessels_near” reworded the description of “limit”
- [cosmetic] “vessels_near” reworded the description of “lon”
- [cosmetic] “vessels_near” reworded the description of “radius_nm”

### 2026-10-30 (score 69, +1)

- [security] The server rewrote its instructions, which are the text every model session reads
- [security] Tool “find_port” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads

### 2026-10-28 (score 68, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 37 to 40. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 11 days of observed history at the previous scan, 12 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-26 (score 67, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 30 to 33. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 9 days of observed history at the previous scan, 10 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-24 (score 66, +1)

- [functional] Server version: 1.5.1 → 1.5.2

## MCP tools (11)

### `search_vessels` (~190 tokens)

Search ships

Find ships by name (or part of it), MMSI (9 digits) or IMO number (7 digits). Returns live ships first, then ships out of range with their last known position (up to 7 days). List results are compact rows (mmsi, name, category, flag (ISO code from the MMSI), lat, lon, speed_kn, course_deg, length_m, destination, age_s, status, source); call get_vessel for full details of one ship. Private vessels (pleasure craft, sailing vessels and Class B transponders without a valid IMO number) are never listed or looked up individually; area and nearby results report how many were left out (private_vessels).

Input parameters:

- `limit` (integer): Maximum number of ships to return
- `query` (string, required): Ship name, MMSI (9 digits) or IMO (7 digits)

### `get_vessel` (~193 tokens)

Ship details and position

Everything known about one ship now: identity (name, IMO, call sign, flag, type, size), last position, speed, course, heading, navigational status, destination (port codes decoded) and ETA as given by the crew, how long ago it was heard, its track over the last 40 minutes, and the data sources to credit. flag (ISO code) and flag_country come from the MMSI: the flag of the radio licence, usually but not always the registry flag. dwt_estimate is an estimate from the AIS dimensions (tonnes, size class such as Panamax or VLCC, hull, draught used), not a registry value; null for tugs, pleasure craft and other types where deadweight does not apply. For archive records and sanctions flags, use lookup_vessels (API key).

Input parameters:

- `mmsi` (integer, required): 9-digit MMSI

### `vessels_in_area` (~220 tokens)

Ships in an area

Ships heard in the last hour inside a box (at most 5° on each side), largest first. List results are compact rows (mmsi, name, category, flag (ISO code from the MMSI), lat, lon, speed_kn, course_deg, length_m, destination, age_s, status, source); call get_vessel for full details of one ship. Private vessels (pleasure craft, sailing vessels and Class B transponders without a valid IMO number) are never listed or looked up individually; area and nearby results report how many were left out (private_vessels).

Input parameters:

- `limit` (integer): Maximum number of ships to return
- `max_lat` (number, required): Northern edge of the box, decimal degrees
- `max_lon` (number, required): Eastern edge of the box, decimal degrees
- `min_lat` (number, required): Southern edge of the box, decimal degrees
- `min_lon` (number, required): Western edge of the box, decimal degrees
- `ship_type` (string): Optional type filter

### `vessels_near` (~232 tokens)

Ships near a point or ship

Ships heard in the last hour within a radius (at most 50 nautical miles) of a point or of another ship, nearest first. List results are compact rows (mmsi, name, category, flag (ISO code from the MMSI), lat, lon, speed_kn, course_deg, length_m, destination, age_s, status, source); call get_vessel for full details of one ship. Private vessels (pleasure craft, sailing vessels and Class B transponders without a valid IMO number) are never listed or looked up individually; area and nearby results report how many were left out (private_vessels).

Input parameters:

- `lat` (number): Latitude of the centre, decimal degrees (with lon, or give mmsi)
- `limit` (integer): Maximum number of ships to return
- `lon` (number): Longitude of the centre, decimal degrees (with lat, or give mmsi)
- `mmsi` (integer): Use this ship's position as the centre instead of lat/lon
- `radius_nm` (number): Search radius in nautical miles

### `vessel_track` (~342 tokens)

Ship history (API key)

Where a ship has been between two times (UTC, ISO 8601), from the AIS Trail archive. Needs an AIS Trail API key sent by the MCP client as the HTTP header 'Authorization: Bearer ap_live_…' (keys at https://aistrail.com); clients that cannot add headers (OAuth-only web connectors) cannot use it yet. Resolution: raw (up to 24 h per call), 1m (up to 7 days) or 1h (up to 366 days); at most 200 points per call, as rows of [time, lat, lon, speed_kn, course_deg]. The plan's history depth, credits (as on the track endpoint: 1 per vessel-day) and rate limit apply, and the 24-hour delay on recent data on plans without live data. sources_through gives, per source, the time up to which the archive holds its data; pending_days lists days in the range a source has not delivered yet, so no points on those days does not mean the ship was absent.

Input parameters:

- `from` (string, required): Start, e.g. 2026-10-01T00:00:00Z
- `mmsi` (integer, required): 9-digit MMSI of the ship
- `resolution` (string): raw: every position (up to 24 h per call); 1m: one point per minute (up to 7 days); 1h: one point per hour (up to 366 days)
- `to` (string, required): End, e.g. 2026-10-02T00:00:00Z

### `data_status` (~86 tokens)

Coverage and freshness

How many ships are live now (live_ships_private: how many of them are private vessels, counted only), how many are known from the last 7 days, the date range of the history archive per source with available_until (the latest time vessel_track can return for that source on plans without live data), and the service status: ok or degraded, with reason codes in reasons.

### `find_port` (~162 tokens)

Find ports

Find ports by name (or part of it), UN/LOCODE (e.g. FIHEL) or two-letter country code (e.g. FI) in the port reference (World Port Index and UN/LOCODE ports): id (for port_calls), name, country, UN/LOCODE, position, harbor size (World Port Index ports only) and the radius of the port area used to detect port calls. At most 20 ports, larger harbors first. No API key needed.

Input parameters:

- `country` (string): ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code
- `limit` (integer): Maximum number of ports to return
- `locode` (string): UN/LOCODE
- `query` (string): Port name

### `vessel_port_calls` (~301 tokens)

Ship port calls (API key)

Port calls of a ship between two times (UTC, ISO 8601), from the AIS Trail archive: port, arrival, departure, draught on arrival and departure, cargo estimate (loaded, ballast or unchanged, from the draught change), previous and next port. Give mmsi or imo. A port call starts when the ship stops inside a port area and ends when it leaves; departure is null while it is still in port. The sanctions column gives the codes of the sanctions lists (OFAC, UK, EU) that name the ship's IMO number; informational only, not a compliance determination. Needs an AIS Trail API key sent by the MCP client as the HTTP header 'Authorization: Bearer ap_live_…'. At most 100 port calls per call and at most 366 days; the plan's history depth, credits (1 per port call returned), rate limit and 24-hour delay (on plans without live data) apply.

Input parameters:

- `from` (string, required): Start, e.g. 2026-09-01T00:00:00Z
- `imo` (integer): 7-digit IMO number of the ship; give mmsi or imo
- `mmsi` (integer): 9-digit MMSI of the ship; give mmsi or imo
- `to` (string, required): End, e.g. 2026-10-01T00:00:00Z

### `port_calls` (~277 tokens)

Port arrivals and departures (API key)

Ships that called at one port between two times (UTC, ISO 8601), from the AIS Trail archive: ship (with its flag from the MMSI), arrival, departure, draught on arrival and departure, cargo estimate, previous and next port. Get the port_id from find_port. event: any (in port at any time in the range, default), arrival or departure. The sanctions column gives the codes of the sanctions lists (OFAC, UK, EU) that name the ship's IMO number; informational only, not a compliance determination. Needs an AIS Trail API key sent by the MCP client as the HTTP header 'Authorization: Bearer ap_live_…'. At most 100 port calls per call and at most 366 days; the plan's rules and credits (1 per port call returned) apply as for vessel_port_calls.

Input parameters:

- `event` (string): any: in port at any time in the range; arrival: arrived in the range; departure: departed in the range
- `from` (string, required): Start, e.g. 2026-09-01T00:00:00Z
- `port_id` (integer, required): Port id from find_port
- `to` (string, required): End, e.g. 2026-09-02T00:00:00Z

### `vessel_events` (~573 tokens)

Ship events (API key)

Events of a ship between two times (UTC, ISO 8601), computed from the AIS Trail archive. from and to are optional: without to, now (24 hours ago on plans without live data); without from, 7 days before to (on Free, no earlier than the oldest day the plan includes), as on the REST endpoint. Give mmsi or imo (with imo, every MMSI that reported that IMO number in the range). Types: ENTER_ZONE and EXIT_ZONE (arrival at and departure from a port or anchorage; port_id for port_calls, zone port or anchorage), STATE_CHANGED (MOVING, NOT_MOVING, LONG_STOP), NAME_CHANGED, IMO_CHANGED, CALLSIGN_CHANGED, DESTINATION_CHANGED and DRAUGHT_CHANGED (old and new value); only when asked by name or with types ['all']: AIS_GAP (long AIS silence while under way; old_value hours, new_value nautical miles), ENCOUNTER (slow close approach to another ship outside port areas, a candidate ship-to-ship transfer; new_value the other ship's MMSI), FLAG_CHANGED (the IMO number reappears under an MMSI with another flag) and POSITION_JUMP (a physically impossible position jump). Rows: [time, event, old_value, new_value, lat, lon, mmsi, port_id, zone, sanctions, detail]; detail says more about behaviour events. The sanctions column gives the codes of the sanctions lists (OFAC, UK, EU) that name the ship's IMO number; informational only, not a compliance determination. Needs an AIS Trail API key sent by the MCP client as the HTTP header 'Authorization: Bearer ap_live_…'. At most 200 events per call and at most 31 days; the plan's history depth, credits (1 per event returned), rate limit and 24-hour delay (on plans without live data) apply.

Input parameters:

- `from` (string): Start, e.g. 2026-10-01T00:00:00Z; default: 7 days before to (on Free, no earlier than the oldest day the plan includes)
- `imo` (integer): 7-digit IMO number; covers every MMSI that reported it in the range. Give mmsi or imo
- `mmsi` (integer): 9-digit MMSI of the ship; give mmsi or imo
- `to` (string): End, e.g. 2026-10-08T00:00:00Z; default: now (24 hours ago on plans without live data)
- `types` (array): Event types; default: every type except AIS_GAP, ENCOUNTER, FLAG_CHANGED, POSITION_JUMP. ['all'] for every type.

### `lookup_vessels` (~255 tokens)

Ship records and sanctions (API key)

Records of up to 20 ships at once from the AIS Trail archive, by mmsi and/or imo (lists): identity and particulars (name, IMO, call sign, type, flag from the MMSI, length, beam, estimated deadweight, first and last seen) and sanctions flags by IMO number from three official lists: OFAC SDN, UK Sanctions List and EU Regulation 833/2014 Annex XLII (list, programmes, date listed). An IMO number resolves to the MMSI that reported it last; ships not in the plan's sources come back with found false. Sanctions flags are informational, not a compliance determination: only ships a list names by IMO number are matched, ownership-based sanctions are not covered. Needs an AIS Trail API key sent by the MCP client as the HTTP header 'Authorization: Bearer ap_live_…'. Credits: 1 per ship returned (none for ships not found); the plan's sources and 24-hour delay (on plans without live data) apply.

Input parameters:

- `imo` (array): 7-digit IMO numbers; mmsi and imo together at most 20
- `mmsi` (array): 9-digit MMSIs

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: TLS, DNSSEC, Authorisation, Transports. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/com-aistrail-ais/api#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-11-05: 78
- 2026-11-04: 77
- 2026-11-03: 77
- 2026-11-02: 76
- 2026-11-01: 71
- 2026-10-31: 69
- 2026-10-30: 69
- 2026-10-29: 68
- 2026-10-28: 68
- 2026-10-27: 67
- 2026-10-26: 67
- 2026-10-25: 66
- 2026-10-24: 66
- 2026-10-23: 65
- 2026-10-22: 65
- 2026-10-21: 64
- 2026-10-20: 64
- 2026-10-19: 64
- 2026-10-18: 63
- 2026-10-17: 63
- 2026-10-16: 62

## Common questions

### What is the AIS Trail MCP server?

AIS Trail is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as com.aistrail/ais. Live AIS ship positions, vessel history, port calls and events, plus sanctions flags. Read-only. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://api.aistrail.com/mcp).

### Is the AIS Trail MCP server safe to use?

AIS Trail scores 78 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

### What tools does the AIS Trail MCP server expose?

AIS Trail exposes 11 tools: search_vessels, get_vessel, vessels_in_area, vessels_near, vessel_track, and 6 more. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 2,831 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Does the AIS Trail MCP server require authentication?

No. We connected to AIS Trail without credentials and it answered, so anything it exposes is reachable by anyone who knows the address.

### Is the AIS Trail MCP server still maintained?

AIS Trail is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 5 November 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.

## Links

- Remote endpoint: https://api.aistrail.com/mcp
- Repository: https://github.com/aistrail/mcp
- Website: https://aistrail.com/docs/mcp/
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/com-aistrail-ais/api.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/com-aistrail-ais/api.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/com-aistrail-ais/api