How to use FOIA Requests in your AI agent

What you'll get

This skill helps you navigate the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process to request government records at federal, state, and local levels. It provides templates for crafting effective requests, understanding common exemptions, tracking submissions, and appealing denials. Perfect for journalists, researchers, advocates, or anyone seeking transparency from public agencies.

Step 1 — Get the skill source URL

The FOIA Requests skill lives at:

Step 2 — Add it to your AI agent

Copy one of these prompts and paste it into your AI tool. The agent will fetch and install the skill for you.

Add the agent skill from https://github.com/jamditis/claude-skills-journalism/tree/master/foia-requests to my project.

Install this agent skill: https://github.com/jamditis/claude-skills-journalism/tree/master/foia-requests

Add this skill to .codex/skills/: https://github.com/jamditis/claude-skills-journalism/tree/master/foia-requests

Add the skill at https://github.com/jamditis/claude-skills-journalism/tree/master/foia-requests to my .gemini/skills/ directory.

Install this agent skill from https://github.com/jamditis/claude-skills-journalism/tree/master/foia-requests

Add this skill: https://github.com/jamditis/claude-skills-journalism/tree/master/foia-requests

Step 3 — Try these prompts

Once the skill is installed, ask your AI things like:

• Investigating a story and need official documents from a government agency
• Understand what records are legally available in your state or at the federal level
• Appealing a denied FOIA request or requesting a fee waiver
• Tracking multiple public records requests and need to follow up with agencies

What this skill does

• Provides ready-to-use templates for federal and state FOIA requests with proper legal language
• Explains the 9 federal exemptions and state-specific public records laws across all 50 states
• Guides you through fee waiver requests, appeals processes, and tracking submission status
• Includes reference tables for state-by-state laws and legislative exemptions
• Offers strategic advice on crafting specific, targeted requests that agencies are more likely to fulfill