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The data.gouv.fr MCP server is configured entirely through environment variables. This page documents all available configuration options.

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Core Server Settings

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MCP_HOST
string
default:"0.0.0.0"
The host address to bind the HTTP server to.
  • 0.0.0.0: Accept connections from any network interface (default for Docker)
  • 127.0.0.1: Only accept connections from localhost (recommended for local development)
For local development, use 127.0.0.1 to follow MCP security best practices and prevent external access.
MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1
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MCP_PORT
string
default:"8000"
The port number for the HTTP server.
MCP_PORT=8007
The server will be available at http://{MCP_HOST}:{MCP_PORT}/mcp.
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MCP_ENV
string
default:"local"
Environment name reported to Sentry for monitoring and error tracking.Common values:
  • local: Local development (default)
  • demo: Demo/staging environment
  • preprod: Pre-production environment
  • prod: Production environment
MCP_ENV=prod
This value is used to tag errors and traces in Sentry, making it easier to filter issues by environment.

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Data.gouv.fr API Settings

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DATAGOUV_API_ENV
string
default:"prod"
Controls which data.gouv.fr API environment the MCP server connects to.Available values:
  • prod: Production API at https://www.data.gouv.fr (default)
  • demo: Demo API at https://demo.data.gouv.fr
DATAGOUV_API_ENV=demo
The Metrics API only works with prod environment. The demo environment does not have metrics data.

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Logging Configuration

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LOG_LEVEL
string
default:"INFO"
Python logging level for application logs.Common values (from most to least verbose):
  • DEBUG: Detailed diagnostic information
  • INFO: General informational messages (default)
  • WARNING: Warning messages for potentially problematic situations
  • ERROR: Error messages for serious problems
  • CRITICAL: Critical messages for very severe errors
LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG
Use DEBUG level during development to see detailed request/response information. Use INFO or WARNING in production to reduce log volume.

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Monitoring and Analytics

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Matomo Analytics

The MCP server includes optional support for Matomo web analytics tracking.
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MATOMO_SITE_ID
string
default:""
Matomo site ID for analytics tracking.When unset or empty, Matomo tracking is disabled.
MATOMO_SITE_ID=1
The site ID is available in your Matomo dashboard under Settings → Websites.
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MATOMO_AUTH
string
default:""
Matomo authentication token for server-side tracking.Required when MATOMO_SITE_ID is set. The token authenticates tracking requests to the Matomo API.
MATOMO_AUTH=your-auth-token-here
The authentication token can be generated in Matomo under Settings → Personal → Security → Auth tokens.

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Sentry Integration

The MCP server includes built-in support for Sentry error and performance monitoring.
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SENTRY_DSN
string
default:""
Sentry Data Source Name (DSN) for error and performance monitoring.When unset or empty, Sentry monitoring is disabled.
SENTRY_DSN=https://[email protected]/your-project-id
The DSN is available in your Sentry project settings under “Client Keys (DSN)”.
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SENTRY_SAMPLE_RATE
float
default:"1.0"
Sampling rate for Sentry traces and performance profiles.
  • 1.0: Sample 100% of transactions (default)
  • 0.1: Sample 10% of transactions
  • 0.0: Disable performance sampling
SENTRY_SAMPLE_RATE=0.1
In high-traffic production environments, use a lower sample rate (e.g., 0.1 or 0.05) to reduce Sentry costs while still capturing representative performance data.

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Configuration Examples

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Local Development

For local development with maximum debugging information:
.env
MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1
MCP_PORT=8000
MCP_ENV=local
DATAGOUV_API_ENV=prod
LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG

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Testing with Demo API

To test against the demo data.gouv.fr environment:
.env
MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1
MCP_PORT=8000
MCP_ENV=demo
DATAGOUV_API_ENV=demo
LOG_LEVEL=INFO

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Production Deployment

For production deployment with monitoring:
.env
MCP_HOST=0.0.0.0
MCP_PORT=8000
MCP_ENV=prod
DATAGOUV_API_ENV=prod
LOG_LEVEL=INFO
SENTRY_DSN=https://[email protected]/your-project-id
SENTRY_SAMPLE_RATE=0.1

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Docker Compose Production

When using Docker Compose, pass environment variables: 
MCP_ENV=prod \
DATAGOUV_API_ENV=prod \
SENTRY_DSN=https://[email protected]/your-project-id \
SENTRY_SAMPLE_RATE=0.1 \
docker compose up -d

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Environment vs Production Environments

Don’t confuse MCP_ENV with DATAGOUV_API_ENV:
  • MCP_ENV: Controls monitoring labels (local, demo, preprod, prod)
  • DATAGOUV_API_ENV: Controls which data.gouv.fr API to use (prod vs demo)
Typical combinations:
Use CaseMCP_ENVDATAGOUV_API_ENV
Local developmentlocalprod
Testing demo datalocal or demodemo
Pre-productionpreprodprod
Productionprodprod

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Security Best Practices

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Local Development

Bind to localhost

Always use MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1 for local development to prevent external access:
MCP_HOST=127.0.0.1
This follows MCP security best practices and ensures the server only accepts connections from your local machine.

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Production Deployment

Use a reverse proxy

Never expose the MCP server directly to the internet. Use a reverse proxy (nginx, Caddy, Traefik) with:
  • Authentication: API keys, OAuth, or other authentication mechanisms
  • Rate limiting: Protect against abuse
  • TLS/SSL: Encrypt all traffic with HTTPS
  • Access logs: Monitor and audit access

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Sensitive Configuration

Never commit .env files containing production secrets to version control.
  • Use environment-specific .env files (.env.local, .env.prod)
  • Add .env to .gitignore
  • Use secret management tools (Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, etc.) for production

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Validation

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Port Validation

The server validates that MCP_PORT is a valid integer: 
# Valid
MCP_PORT=8000

# Invalid (will cause startup error)
MCP_PORT=invalid
Error message: 
Error: Invalid MCP_PORT environment variable: invalid

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Sentry Sample Rate

The SENTRY_SAMPLE_RATE must be a float between 0.0 and 1.0: 
# Valid
SENTRY_SAMPLE_RATE=0.5

# Invalid (will cause error)
SENTRY_SAMPLE_RATE=1.5

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Troubleshooting

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Environment variables not loading

Ensure you’ve loaded the .env file: 
set -a && source .env && set +a
Verify variables are set: 
echo $MCP_PORT

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Server not accessible

Check that MCP_HOST is set correctly:
  • Local development: Use 127.0.0.1
  • Docker/production: Use 0.0.0.0

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Sentry not receiving events

Verify your Sentry configuration:
  1. Check that SENTRY_DSN is set and valid
  2. Ensure MCP_ENV is set to help filter events
  3. Check your Sentry project’s inbound filters
  4. Look for Sentry initialization messages in logs

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