AusEcon MCP for ABS | RBA | APRA data

Get ABS Data

get_abs_data

Read-onlyIdempotent

Retrieve Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) datasets using SDMX with configurable time periods, series keys, and observation limits. Returns normalised data ready for analysis.

Instructions

Expert/source-native ABS SDMX retrieval in a normalised response shape.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`key`	No	ABS SDMX key, or "all" for all series.	all
`last_n`	No	Optional limit returning only the most recent N observations per series; metadata.truncated is true when older observations were dropped.
`end_period`	No	Optional ABS period bound in YYYY, YYYY-QN, YYYY-MM, or YYYY-SN format.
`dataflow_id`	Yes	Non-empty dataset or table id.
`start_period`	No	Optional ABS period bound in YYYY, YYYY-QN, YYYY-MM, or YYYY-SN format.
`updated_after`	No	Optional ISO date or datetime accepted by the ABS updatedAfter API.
`include_observation_dimensions`	No	Whether to repeat the full dimension dict on every observation. Off by default because the same dimensions already appear on each series descriptor and are encoded in series_id.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`series`	Yes	Series descriptors keyed by series_id.
`metadata`	Yes	Source, provenance, cache, and retrieval metadata for this response.
`observations`	Yes	Long-form observations keyed by date and series_id.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed5 schema fields changedv1.11.0Jun 14, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / include_observation_dimensions

Added value: +{
+  "default": false,
+  "description": "Whether to repeat the full dimension dict on every observation. Off by default because the same dimensions already appear on each series descriptor and are encoded in series_id.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / metadata / properties / derived / properties / alignment_method

Added value: +{
+  "enum": [
+    "locf",
+    "exact_month",
+    "period_intersection",
+    "year_ended_lag"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / metadata / properties / derived / properties / description
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

changedOutput schema / properties / metadata / properties / derived / required

Previous value: -[
-  "concept",
-  "formula",
-  "operands",
-  "source_concepts",
-  "alignment_frequency",
-  "units",
-  "requested_bounds",
-  "resolved_bounds",
-  "dropped_observations"
-]New value: +[
+  "concept",
+  "description",
+  "formula",
+  "operands",
+  "source_concepts",
+  "alignment_frequency",
+  "alignment_method",
+  "units",
+  "requested_bounds",
+  "resolved_bounds",
+  "dropped_observations"
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / observations / items / required

Previous value: -[
-  "date",
-  "series_id",
-  "value",
-  "dimensions"
-]New value: +[
+  "date",
+  "series_id",
+  "value"
+]

Changed2 schema fields changedv1.8.0Jun 10, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / last_n / description

Previous value: -"Optional positive observation count limit."New value: +"Optional limit returning only the most recent N observations per series; metadata.truncated is true when older observations were dropped."

addedOutput schema / properties / metadata / properties / observations_dropped

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Number of observations removed by last_n selection; truncated is true when this is non-zero.",
+  "minimum": 0,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

Changed4 schema fields changedv1.7.1Jun 9, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / metadata / properties / apra_url_resolution

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "description": "APRA workbook URL resolution strategy used for this retrieval.",
+  "properties": {
+    "seed_checked_at": {
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "strategy": {
+      "enum": [
+        "landing_page",
+        "seed_manifest",
+        "catalogue_fallback"
+      ],
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "strategy",
+    "seed_checked_at"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / metadata / properties / framework_breaks

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Known source framework or reporting-definition breaks relevant to the payload.",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+      "date": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "description": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "label": {
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "date",
+      "label",
+      "description"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / metadata / properties / selection

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Observation-selection provenance when returned by convenience tools.",
+  "oneOf": [
+    {
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "direction": {
+          "enum": [
+            "highest",
+            "lowest"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "dropped_non_numeric_count": {
+          "minimum": 0,
+          "type": "integer"
+        },
+        "n": {
+          "minimum": 1,
+          "type": "integer"
+        },
+        "numeric_observation_count": {
+          "minimum": 0,
+          "type": "integer"
+        },
+        "returned_observation_count": {
+          "minimum": 0,
+          "type": "integer"
+        },
+        "type": {
+          "enum": [
+            "top_n"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "type",
+        "n",
+        "direction",
+        "numeric_observation_count",
+        "returned_observation_count",
+        "dropped_non_numeric_count"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    {
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "n": {
+          "minimum": 1,
+          "type": "integer"
+        },
+        "returned_observation_count": {
+          "minimum": 0,
+          "type": "integer"
+        },
+        "series_count": {
+          "minimum": 0,
+          "type": "integer"
+        },
+        "type": {
+          "enum": [
+            "latest"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "type",
+        "n",
+        "series_count",
+        "returned_observation_count"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    }
+  ]
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / metadata / properties / warnings

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Plain-English source warnings relevant to the payload.",
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

First observedv0.1.0May 31, 2026

TDQS

B3.2/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and idempotentHint=true, so the safe, non-destructive nature is clear. The description adds that the response is 'normalised' and that the tool is 'source-native', which hints at output formatting and integration with ABS specifics, but it does not disclose potential rate limits, error behavior, or interactions between parameters beyond what the schema already notes.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is a single, concise sentence with no wasted words, making it easy to parse. However, the phrase 'Expert/source-native' is vague and arguably unnecessary, and the extreme brevity leaves out crucial usage context, meaning it sacrifices informativeness for compactness.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With a rich schema, output schema, and good annotations, the description does not need to restate those details. Yet it fails to provide the 'when to use this' context essential for a tool with many siblings, making the overall package merely adequate rather than complete.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Input schema has 100% coverage, with every parameter offering a meaningful description, so the baseline is 3. The description itself adds no parameter-specific semantics; it does not clarify how 'key', 'last_n', or 'period' interact, but the schema already handles this adequately.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description uses a specific verb ('retrieval') and resource ('ABS SDMX'), clearly indicating it fetches Australian Bureau of Statistics data via SDMX. However, it does not explicitly differentiate among the many sibling data-retrieval tools, relying on the 'ABS' qualifier to set it apart from APRA/RBA tools but not from other ABS-specific tools like get_latest_observations.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives such as get_apra_data, get_latest_observations, or get_derived_series. There is no mention of prerequisites, typical scenarios, or exclusions, leaving the agent to infer usage solely from the tool name and schema.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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