Install US Public Records (permits, grants, OSHA/EPA, recalls) in Zed

What you need first

• Zed, installed.
• Nothing else: the server runs on its publisher's machines and Zed connects to it.
• Your own value for YOUR_AUTHORIZATION.

Steps

1. Open Zed's settings file, ~/.config/zed/settings.json (on Windows %APPDATA%\Zed\settings.json), or .zed/settings.json for one project.
2. Add this block. If the file already has context_servers, add only the entry inside it.

{
  "context_servers": {
    "us-public-records": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=owlabee/building-permits-scraper,owlabee/accela-energov-permit-scraper,owlabee/grants-gov-api,owlabee/grant-matching,owlabee/osha-epa-inspections,owlabee/product-recall-feed,owlabee/license-verification-api,owlabee/federal-court-docket-monitor",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "YOUR_AUTHORIZATION" }
    }
  }
}

3. Replace YOUR_AUTHORIZATION with your own value.
4. Save the file. Zed starts the server, and Settings › AI › MCP Servers lists it.

Check it worked

Ask Zed: List the tools of us-public-records.

If it does not start

401 Unauthorized

The endpoint wants a sign-in or a key. Sign in when Zed asks, or check the value in place of the placeholder.

The server starts, but its tools fail

A YOUR_… placeholder is still in the config, or its value is wrong.

Nothing changes after a restart

The file is not valid JSON any more. Look for a missing comma where the block was added.