Skip to main content

​
Overview

Atlas exposes a REST API and an MCP server for building civic tech applications, research tools, and integrations.

​
What you can build

  • Civic dashboards — Embed Atlas entity data in geographic visualizations
  • Research automation — Script multi-city discovery runs and compile results
  • Directory integrations — Pull Atlas data into your own directory or CMS
  • Monitoring tools — Watch for new entities in specific places and issue areas
  • AI-assisted research — Use Atlas from assistants that already support MCP

​
Getting started

API quickstart

Make your first API call in under 5 minutes.

Authentication

Set up API keys or OAuth 2.1 access.

MCP tools

Use Atlas through AI assistants and agents.

Scout CLI

Run local discovery and sync reviewed results.

Data model

Understand how Atlas data is structured.

​
Key integration patterns

​
Read-only public access

No authentication needed for most read endpoints. Good for embedding Atlas data in public-facing applications:
Public unauthenticated limit: 30 reads per minute, 10 writes per minute, and 120 total requests per hour.

​
Authenticated access

API keys unlock higher rate limits and protected endpoints (discovery runs, entity creation). Available on Atlas Pro ($5/month):

​
MCP for agents

Connect an MCP-compliant client to https://atlas.rebuildingus.org/mcp to use Atlas tools from an assistant that already supports the protocol. The client handles OAuth; Atlas publishes the server URL, scopes, and tool reference.

​
Scout for local discovery

Use Scout when local scripts or researchers need to run discovery before syncing reviewed source-backed results to Atlas.

​
Self-hosting

If you need full control, Atlas is open source and can be self-hosted. See the self-hosting guide.

​
What’s next

API guide

Response format, pagination, filtering, and errors.

Rate limits

Usage limits by plan.