What is the URL for the exchangerate.dev MCP server?

The server is at https://api.exchangerate.dev/v1/mcp. Use the server name `exchangerate-dev` in your MCP client config. Pass your API key in an Authorization header as `Bearer exr_live_...`. Anonymous access works for testing but is capped per IP address.

Which tools does the MCP server provide?

There are five: `list_currencies` to discover supported codes, `get_rate` to fetch the latest or a historical rate for a pair, `convert` to convert an amount between two currencies, `get_range` to retrieve a daily time series across a date range, and `search_docs` to search the bundled FAQ for canonical answers about the API. The first four map directly to REST endpoints; `search_docs` is MCP-only.

Do MCP tool calls count against my API quota?

Yes. Every tool call counts as one API call against the key's monthly quota and per-minute rate limit. The free tier allows 10,000 calls per month at 12 requests per minute. Plan capacity the same way you would for direct REST calls.

Can an LLM agent use the MCP server to give financial advice?

No. The rates are indicative, published for reference and analytics. They are not dealing quotes and must not be used to advise on or settle a trade. The agent should surface the `notice` field from each response and decline requests for forecasts or trading recommendations.

Guide/MCP server

Give your LLM agent live FX rates over MCP

exchangerate.dev runs a Model Context Protocol server so an LLM agent can request currency rates as structured tool calls, without writing a line of REST client code.

ERexchangerate.dev·Jun 19, 2026·6 min read

Connect your agent to https://api.exchangerate.dev/v1/mcp and it gains five tools: discover supported currencies, fetch the latest rate for a pair, convert an amount, pull a historical series, or search the docs for canonical answers. The server counts each tool call against the same per-minute rate limit and monthly quota as your REST key, so plan capacity the same way you would for any API integration.

Key points

The MCP server is at https://api.exchangerate.dev/v1/mcp, server name exchangerate-dev.

Five tools: list_currencies, get_rate, convert, and get_range cover the FX use cases, and search_docs answers questions about the API itself.

Tool calls share the key's per-minute rate limit (12 rpm on the free tier) and 10,000-call monthly quota.

Rates are indicative, published for reference and analytics, not as dealing quotes.

No API key is required to try the server; anonymous calls work but are capped per IP address.

What MCP gives an LLM agent

The Model Context Protocol lets an LLM call external tools during inference without manual HTTP wiring. Rather than asking a developer to build a REST client, the agent discovers the tool list from the server and invokes tools by name. exchangerate.dev exposes its rate data this way: the server at /v1/mcp describes five tools, the agent picks the right one for the task, and the result comes back as structured JSON that feeds straight into the next reasoning step.

This is useful when the agent needs rates dynamically. A user might ask "how much is 500 USD in JPY right now?"; the agent calls convert and answers from the response, with no hard-coded rate in the prompt.

The five tools and when to use each

Each tool maps to a specific REST endpoint on the API. The agent chooses between them based on what the task requires.

ToolUse caseMaps to

list_currenciesDiscover which currency codes are supported before making a rate call/v1/currencies

get_rateFetch the latest indicative rate for a base/quote pair, or for a specific past date/v1/latest or /v1/{date}

convertConvert an amount from one currency to another and get the converted value directly/v1/convert

get_rangeRetrieve a daily time series across a date range for one or more currency pairs/v1/range

search_docsSearch the exchangerate.dev FAQ for canonical answers to how-to, pricing, or data-sourcing questionsbundled FAQ (BM25)

A typical agent workflow runs list_currencies once at setup or when the user names an unfamiliar code. After that it calls get_rate or convert per user query, get_range when a trend, comparison, or historical context is needed, and search_docs when the user asks how the API itself works — pricing, freshness, or where the data comes from.

Combine FX with live metals data

When an agent needs both raw FX and live metals, connect the goldprice.dev MCP server alongside exchangerate.dev. Keep the tools separate: use goldprice.dev for metal prices and exchangerate.dev for currency rates, then preserve the underlying observation and source fields from both responses in the final answer.

Configuring an MCP client

Most MCP clients accept a JSON config block. The dedicated MCP quickstart has copy-paste setup for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and Cursor. Point the client at the server URL and pass your API key in the Authorization header:

mcp config · HTTP transportcopy

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "exchangerate-dev": {
      "url": "https://api.exchangerate.dev/v1/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer exr_live_..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace exr_live_... with your key from the dashboard. The server name exchangerate-dev is what surfaces in the agent's tool list. Some clients (Claude for Desktop, Cursor) support an npm package for local (stdio) connections instead of the HTTP URL; the five tools and their behaviour are identical either way.

No key for a quick test

Omitting the Authorization header still works for a quick test; anonymous calls are capped per IP address. Add a key at https://exchangerate.dev/signup to raise the limit to 10,000 calls a month and for production use.

Quota and rate limits

Every tool call counts as one API call against your key. The free tier allows 10,000 calls per month at 12 requests per minute. An agent that calls get_rate on every user message in a busy chat interface can exhaust the per-minute limit quickly. Design the agent to batch or cache where the task allows.

get_range is efficient for historical work: one call returns a full date series for multiple symbols rather than one call per day. If an agent needs rates for the past two weeks across three pairs, a single get_range call covers it.

Reading freshness from tool responses

Each tool response includes source and market_session. source tells the agent where the rate came from: live for aggregated spot (updated ~60s through the trading week), ecb_daily for the European Central Bank reference fix, or fred_daily for the Federal Reserve daily series. market_session is open, weekend, or interbank_closed for a known non-weekend closure.

These fields let the agent give honest context to the user. Rather than stating a number without qualification, the agent can note that the rate is from the ECB daily fix or that the market is currently closed. The notice field on every response carries the indicative disclaimer the agent should surface when presenting rates to end users.

Indicative rates only

Rates are not for settlement or trading

All data from the MCP server is indicative, published for reference, analytics, and display. The agent should never present these as dealing quotes or suggest acting on them for a financial transaction. Every tool response carries this in its notice field.

This applies to the agent's output too. If users ask "should I exchange my money now?" or for a forecast, the agent should decline rather than extrapolate from the rate data. The tools provide the current or historical number; any forward-looking interpretation is out of scope.

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