> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.americanspend.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.americanspend.com/mcp-methods/benchmarks.md).

# Benchmarks

list\_benchmarks, benchmark\_series, and compare\_to\_benchmark.

These tools read public agency series and, on the compare call, set a model series beside one of them. They are BLS, Census, BEA, and OECD series. OECD series are CC BY 4.0. Quote the attribution the result includes.

CPI and the expenditure survey classify products. The model classifies merchants. Read a category mapping's fit before treating the two as the same thing.

### list\_benchmarks

The catalog. `agency` and `geo_type` filter it. `category` returns only series mapped to one spending category, using the same lower-case keys as `category_trends`.

### benchmark\_series

Observations for one series. `series_id` is required. CPI all items is `bls.cpi_u.all_items`. `geo` is `us` by default, or `state:TX`, `cbsa:19100`, a census region, a census division, or `country:CAN` for an OECD series. `start` and `end` bound it. `transform` changes the presentation of the series.

### compare\_to\_benchmark

A model series beside one public series, aligned and indexed. `series_id` picks the public series. `metric` picks the model measure. Narrow the model side with `category`, `subcategory`, or `merchant_id`. `geo` is the model geography and `series_geo` is the public series geography. `start` and `end` bound the comparison.


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