What organic-web-checker MCP server does
The organic-web-checker MCP server cross-references organic product representations on a certified operation’s public website with that operation’s current USDA Organic Integrity Database (OID) certificate. Its primary check returns structured results grouped into verified, flagged, caution, and marketing items, along with certificate metadata and item-level URLs.
A verified result indicates that the website representation was found on the certificate. A flagged result identifies an organic representation without a matching certificate item. A caution result covers cases such as close naming variations, questions about processing form, or matches within a grouped scope that need review by the certifying agent.
The service is intended for organic certifying agents, compliance consultants, and certified operations conducting self-review. It is a decision-support tool, not a final compliance determination.
How it works
The server runs as a remote HTTP MCP service at https://www.organicwebchecker.com/mcp. MCP-compatible clients connect using JSON-RPC 2.0 and can discover the available tools through initialize and tools/list, then invoke them with tools/call. The documented MCP protocol version is 2024-11-05.
check_organic_compliance accepts the operation name exactly as listed in USDA OID and the full public website URL. An optional force_fresh argument bypasses the service’s 24-hour OID cache and retrieves current USDA data. Each successful full check uses one credit, and API keys are limited to 60 checks per hour.
get_oid_certificate accepts an OID operation name and returns certificate information without scanning a website. Its response includes certified products, certifier, status, location, and scopes, and it does not consume a check credit.
Setup and configuration
The organic-web-checker MCP server requires an account and API key. Create an account at the service website, generate a key from its API page, and purchase credits before running paid compliance checks. Keys use the owc_live_ prefix.
Configure the remote URL and key as an HTTP MCP server in a compatible client. The connection uses the X-API-Key request header. A Claude Desktop or Cursor configuration can provide the endpoint and header in the client’s MCP server settings. The repository also documents direct JSON-RPC requests with curl for clients or scripts that need to call the endpoint manually.
Provide the operation name in the same form used by USDA OID. For a full check, also provide a complete website URL. The optional freshness flag defaults to false.
Tools and capabilities
- Run a website-versus-certificate compliance report with
check_organic_compliance.
- Retrieve a current OID certificate with
get_oid_certificate.
- Identify verified, flagged, caution, and marketing website representations.
- Return certificate metadata and links associated with individual report items.
- Bypass the 24-hour OID cache for a full check when live retrieval is needed.
Limitations and notes
The organic-web-checker MCP server checks public website representations against publicly available OID certificate information. It does not replace review by a certifying agent. Flagged items require manual assessment, and caution items may reflect naming, processing-form, or grouped-scope questions rather than a definitive violation.
The service notes regulatory context including the retail exemption under 7 CFR §205.101(a)(2), handler and organic system plan scope under 7 CFR §205.201, and the March 19, 2024 Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule. The detailed product coverage held by a certifying agent may be relevant to interpretation.
The repository metadata and documentation are MIT-licensed, while the hosted Organic Web Checker service is proprietary. A successful check_organic_compliance call costs one credit; certificate retrieval is free of credit cost.