AusEcon MCP for ABS | RBA | APRA data

Get Derived Series

get_derived_series

Read-onlyIdempotent

Retrieve derived Australian economic series from ABS, RBA, and APRA with optional date ranges and last-N filtering for analysis.

Instructions

Read-only retrieval for the narrow transparent derived series layer.

Date bounds accept YYYY, YYYY-QN, YYYY-SN, YYYY-MM, or YYYY-MM-DD and are normalised to the derived series frequency.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`end`	No	Optional analyst-friendly bound for a derived series: YYYY, YYYY-QN, YYYY-SN, YYYY-MM, or YYYY-MM-DD. Bounds are normalised to the derived series frequency.
`start`	No	Optional analyst-friendly bound for a derived series: YYYY, YYYY-QN, YYYY-SN, YYYY-MM, or YYYY-MM-DD. Bounds are normalised to the derived series frequency.
`last_n`	No	Optional limit returning only the most recent N observations per series; metadata.truncated is true when older observations were dropped.
`concept`	Yes	Derived concept name.

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.

Changed4 schema fields changedv1.11.0Jun 14, 2026

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

A3.8/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already indicate readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, and destructiveHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds meaningful behavioral context by explaining that date bounds accept specific formats and are 'normalised to the derived series frequency,' which is useful beyond the schema. It does not contradict annotations.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

The description is extremely concise: two sentences that immediately state the tool's purpose and then provide the key date-bound behavior. Every sentence serves a purpose, with no filler or redundancy.

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

Completeness4/5

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

Given the presence of an output schema and rich annotations, the description is sufficient for a simple read-only retrieval tool. It covers the notable normalization behavior, but does not define what 'derived series' means or when to choose it over economic series; however, sibling context and schema partially compensate.

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?

Schema description coverage is 100%, with the schema already describing start, end, last_n, and concept. The description's note about date format normalization partially matches the schema's parameter descriptions but adds no new semantic detail beyond what is already structured. It is adequate but does not elevate above the baseline.

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 states 'Read-only retrieval for the narrow transparent derived series layer,' which identifies a specific verb (retrieval) and resource (derived series), and the phrase 'derived series' distinguishes it from siblings like get_economic_series. It is not a tautology, though the terms 'narrow' and 'transparent' are somewhat vague and do not fully clarify the exact scope.

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

Usage Guidelines3/5

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

The description implies usage by calling it 'read-only retrieval' and mentions the 'derived series layer,' suggesting it is for derived-series data. However, it does not explicitly state when to use this tool versus alternatives, nor does it mention exclusions or prerequisites. The guidance is implied rather than explicit.

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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