Supercharging Data Portals with the PortalJS MCP Server
Explore how the PortalJS MCP server unlocks AI-native discovery, metadata exploration, and data previews for modern portals — now open sourced and easy to integrate.
Blog Posts
Discover insights, updates and stories
Introducing Visualizations in PortalJS Cloud: Publish and Share Insights Alongside Your Datasets
Empower your data portal with an insights catalog — a new way to explore, share, and communicate findings alongside your datasets.
MCP Server: A better way to connect AI assistants to data portals
How an MCP server bridges AI assistants and data portals, enabling seamless, efficient data discovery for ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI tools.
How We Rebuilt a Legacy CKAN Portal into a Static, Read-Only Site with PortalJS
Migrating from a heavy CKAN 2.6 portal to a fast, fully static frontend — and the technical journey behind it.
The Metadata Standards Landscape: Making Data Discoverable Across Organizations
Navigate the world of metadata standards from Dublin Core to DCAT to Frictionless Data. Learn which standards work best for government, academic, and enterprise data portals, and how to choose the right approach for your organization.
How Rich Metadata Powers Data Discovery in Modern Data Catalogs
Learn how metadata transforms data discovery at scale—from search engines like Solr and Elasticsearch to standardized schemas that help users find exactly what they need among thousands of datasets.
Basics of Metadata: How It Helps Understand Your Data
Learn the basics of metadata—from built-in CSV attributes like filename and media type to simple external files—and see how it makes your data discoverable.
Why We Decoupled CKAN’s Frontend — And What We Gained with PortalJS
We explain why we chose to decouple CKAN’s frontend and how PortalJS made our data portal faster, more flexible, and easier to maintain. A practical look at SSG, serverless scaling, and modern dev workflows with CKAN.
Why NASA — and Anyone Using CKAN — Should Consider a Decoupled Front-End with PortalJS
NASA’s open data portal is powered by CKAN—but what if its user experience could match its scientific depth? This post explores how a decoupled frontend using PortalJS can transform performance, design flexibility, and scalability—without changing the backend. Learn how CKAN and PortalJS can work together to deliver a faster, smarter, and more user-friendly data experience.
The New Look of PortalJS Cloud
Discover how the redesigned PortalJS Cloud helps you launch a modern, WCAG 2.1/2.2-compliant open data portal—fully responsive, customizable, and optimized for lightning-fast search and data sharing. Built for governments, non-profits, academic institutions, and private organizations, it's the easiest way to deploy a user-friendly data platform in minutes.