# referencesource.org (remote · referencesource.org)

Verified reference data; each record carries its source URL and quote. verify_quote checks claims.

- Trust score: 85/100 (high trust)
- Change this week: 0
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-09-21

## Components

- remote · `referencesource.org`: 85/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/joelp22-maker-referencesource/referencesource.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/joelp22-maker-referencesource/referencesource)
- npm · `referencesource-mcp`: 39/100, [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/joelp22-maker-referencesource/referencesource-mcp.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/joelp22-maker-referencesource/referencesource-mcp)

## Channel facts

- Endpoint: `https://referencesource.org/mcp`
- Transports: `streamable-http`
- Auth: `none`
- Version: `1.2.0`

## 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 2026-09-21.

- **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**: 72/100
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).
  - Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 796 tokens (~199/item across 4 items; 4 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 100/100
  - No destabilizing schema changes in the last 30 days.
- **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 4 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.
  - An AI judge read all 5 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.
- **Capabilities**: 100/100
  - Implements a supported MCP spec version (2025-11-25); the latest is 2026-07-28.

## Install

### How do I install the referencesource.org MCP server?

referencesource.org is a hosted endpoint at https://referencesource.org/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 joelp22-maker-referencesource 'https://referencesource.org/mcp'
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "joelp22-maker-referencesource": {
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "joelp22-maker-referencesource": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```toml
[mcp_servers.joelp22-maker-referencesource]
url = "https://referencesource.org/mcp"
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "joelp22-maker-referencesource": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/mcp",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add joelp22-maker-referencesource --url 'https://referencesource.org/mcp' --transport streamable-http
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  joelp22-maker-referencesource:
    url: "https://referencesource.org/mcp"
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "joelp22-maker-referencesource": {
      "Transport": "http",
      "Url": "https://referencesource.org/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add joelp22-maker-referencesource -t streamable-http -u 'https://referencesource.org/mcp'
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "joelp22-maker-referencesource": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/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.

### 2026-09-10 (score 85, +1)

- [security] Stability: 0.97 → pass

### 2026-09-08 (score 84, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 90 to 93. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 27 days of observed history at the previous scan, 28 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-09-06 (score 83, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 83 to 87. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 25 days of observed history at the previous scan, 26 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-09-04 (score 82, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 77 to 80. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 23 days of observed history at the previous scan, 24 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-09-03 (score 81, 0)

- [security] Tool “list_datasets” rewrote its description, which is the text the model reads
- [functional regression] Schema quality: 169 → 199
- [cosmetic] “list_datasets” added an optional parameter “full”
- [cosmetic] “list_datasets” added an optional parameter “query”

### 2026-09-01 (score 81, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 67 to 70. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 20 days of observed history at the previous scan, 21 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-08-29 (score 80, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 57 to 60. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 17 days of observed history at the previous scan, 18 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-08-27 (score 79, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 50 to 53. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 15 days of observed history at the previous scan, 16 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

## MCP tools (4)

### `list_datasets` (~178 tokens)

List reference datasets

What reference datasets are available? Lists every published dataset with its title, record count, last-verified date and a one-sentence summary. Covers regulatory thresholds, version compatibility, certification registers, licensing rules and more. Pass `query` to list only the datasets matching a topic — that is much cheaper than reading the whole list. Use the returned slug with search_records or get_record.

Input parameters:

- `full` (boolean): Return each dataset's complete scope statement instead of the first sentence. Off by default: the full text is roughly four times the size and is rarely needed to choose a dataset.
- `query` (string): Optional topic filter, e.g. "boiler", "tariff" or "loan limit". Case-insensitive substring, matched against each dataset's slug, title and full description. Omit it to list every dataset.

### `search_records` (~124 tokens)

Search records in a dataset

Look up a specific record — search by state name, chemical, certificate number, product name or any keyword. Searches one dataset's records (case-insensitive substring match across all fields). Returns up to 20 matching records, each with its url, source and verbatim source_quote so the answer can be checked.

Input parameters:

- `dataset_slug` (string, required): Dataset slug from list_datasets, e.g. "graduated-driver-licensing".
- `query` (string, required): Substring to match, case-insensitive, e.g. a state code, chemical name or standard number.

### `get_record` (~102 tokens)

Get one record by id

Fetch one record by id — for example, look up a FIPS 140 certificate's status, a state's boiler inspection rules, or a county's loan limit. Returns the full record with its source URL and verbatim source quote. Record ids appear in search_records results and in each record's url.

Input parameters:

- `dataset_slug` (string, required): Dataset slug from list_datasets.
- `record_id` (string, required): The record's id field, e.g. "ak".

### `verify_quote` (~234 tokens)

Check a claimed value against a record

Is this value actually right? Check a claimed fact against a published record instead of trusting it. Reports whether the claim matches the record's stored value (exact, case-insensitive or normalised — the match type is named), whether it appears in the record's verbatim source quote, and returns the source URL and quote so the claim can be traced upstream. Use this whenever you want to confirm a number, date, threshold or status before stating it. Verdicts: matches_record, matches_quote, differs or not_found.

Input parameters:

- `claimed_value` (string, required): The value to check, exactly as claimed, e.g. "$832,750" or "no passengers younger than 21".
- `dataset_slug` (string, required): Dataset slug from list_datasets.
- `field` (string): Field name to check the claim against, e.g. "limit_1_unit". Without it, every stored field is checked.
- `record_id` (string): The record's id, if known (shown in search_records results and in each record's url). Without it, the dataset's stored values are searched for the claimed value.

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: TLS, DNSSEC, Authorisation, Transports. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/joelp22-maker-referencesource/referencesource#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-09-21: 85
- 2026-09-20: 85
- 2026-09-19: 85
- 2026-09-18: 85
- 2026-09-17: 85
- 2026-09-16: 85
- 2026-09-15: 85
- 2026-09-14: 85
- 2026-09-13: 85
- 2026-09-12: 85
- 2026-09-11: 85
- 2026-09-10: 85
- 2026-09-09: 84
- 2026-09-08: 84
- 2026-09-07: 83
- 2026-09-06: 83
- 2026-09-05: 82
- 2026-09-04: 82
- 2026-09-03: 81
- 2026-09-02: 81
- 2026-09-01: 81
- 2026-08-31: 80
- 2026-08-30: 80
- 2026-08-29: 80
- 2026-08-28: 79
- 2026-08-27: 79
- 2026-08-26: 78
- 2026-08-25: 77
- 2026-08-24: 76
- 2026-08-23: 76

## Common questions

### What is the referencesource.org MCP server?

referencesource.org is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as io.github.joelp22-maker/referencesource. Verified reference data; each record carries its source URL and quote. verify_quote checks claims. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://referencesource.org/mcp).

### Is the referencesource.org MCP server safe to use?

referencesource.org scores 85 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 referencesource.org MCP server expose?

referencesource.org exposes 4 tools: list_datasets, search_records, get_record, verify_quote. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 638 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Does the referencesource.org MCP server require authentication?

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

### Is the referencesource.org MCP server still maintained?

referencesource.org is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 21 September 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://referencesource.org/mcp
- Repository: https://github.com/joelp22-maker/referencesource-mcp
- Website: https://referencesource.org/
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/joelp22-maker-referencesource/referencesource.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/joelp22-maker-referencesource/referencesource.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/joelp22-maker-referencesource/referencesource