Check an MCP server before you install

No signup

This call needs no account and is unmetered. Latest data capture: 7 November 2026, 23:32 UTC.

curl -s https://api.mcpcensus.com/v1/stats

Same facts over MCP, also with no key: https://api.mcpcensus.com/mcp · tool census_stats

Facts

Directories list. We check.

Is it the vendor’s server or a lookalike? Still maintained? What can you open as proof?

Comparisons → · How we differ → · Policy preflight → · Live coverage →

Your agent checks. Every time.

One call audits a whole MCP config. One rule line makes the agent run it before every install or tool call. One cursor tells it what changed since last time. Nothing to remember, nothing to re-read.

# the whole recurrence mechanism — paste into your agent's instructions
Before adding, enabling or calling any MCP server, run a Census stamp. Stop on BLOCK. Ask on REVIEW.

Audit your config → · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code → · GitHub Action →

What changed since you last looked

Every cron writes what it saw: a server appears in the registry, a hosted endpoint goes down or comes back, a tool list changes, health or verification flips, an endpoint moves. Pull it with a cursor. No key, no credits.

Feed contract → · Watch docs → · llms.txt →

8,450 servers have a verified problem

That is 14% of the 60,152 servers tracked. A verified problem is a fact such as a gone repo, an archived repo, a deprecated package, or no push in 6+ months. Servers we have not assessed yet are counted separately, never as healthy.

July 2026 snapshot report → · Live coverage → · Citable stats →

Free to check. Credits when agents run at scale.

Team $49/mo · 10,000 credits. Search/lookup 1 · config audit 1 per config per day · preflight/stamp 5 · watch 10. Repeats same UTC day are free. The change feed is unmetered. A daily audit of a 10-server config stays inside the free grant.

See prices Check a server

Common questions

What is The MCP Census?

The MCP Census is a public-evidence gate for MCP servers. It returns PASS, REVIEW, BLOCK, or UNKNOWN. It is not a malware scan and it is not the official MCP registry.

Can I try it with no account?

Yes. curl -s https://api.mcpcensus.com/v1/stats needs no key and is unmetered. The MCP endpoint https://api.mcpcensus.com/mcp accepts the census_stats tool with no signup. Search and lookup without an account are limited to 10 unique names per day per IP.

How can an agent check a server before it connects?

Add one rule: before adding, enabling, or calling any MCP server, run a Census stamp, stop on BLOCK, and ask a human on REVIEW. The agent calls census_stamp or census_audit_config at https://api.mcpcensus.com/mcp.

Can I audit a whole MCP config at once?

Yes. POST the config to https://api.mcpcensus.com/v1/audit. You get one PASS, REVIEW, BLOCK, or UNKNOWN line per entry. One config of up to 25 entries per IP per day is free without a key.

How is this different from Smithery, Glama, and mcp.so?

Those sites help you find, and in some cases host or connect, MCP servers. The Census checks public evidence and returns a policy decision. Short comparisons are at mcpcensus.com/compare/. We do not host their servers or sign you into their tools.

What does UNKNOWN mean?

UNKNOWN means the Census has no row for that entry. It is not a pass.

What this is not

The MCP Census is a live registry health and identity check. It is not a full security audit, pen-test, compliance certification, or guarantee that a server is safe to run in production. Unknown means we lack evidence, not that the server is fine. Methodology →