TMDB MCP Server

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Search people

search_people

Read-only

Search TMDB actors, directors, and crew by name to retrieve the TMDB person ID needed for get_person, plus their top five known titles; use when the result is known to be a person.

Instructions

Search TMDB people (actors, directors, crew) by name; returns the TMDB id needed by get_person plus their top 5 best-known titles (known_for). Use this over search_multi when you already know the result is a person.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`page`	No	1-based page number for pagination (TMDB returns up to 20 results per page, max 500).
`query`	Yes	Person name to search for.
`language`	No	Override the response language (ISO-639-1, optionally with a region), e.g. 'ru-RU' or 'en-US'. Localizes titles/overviews/genre names. Defaults to the server's TMDB_LANGUAGE. A well-formed code TMDB has no translation for (e.g. 'xx') is not an error: overviews come back null, movies/shows keep their original-language title, and episodes get a generic 'Episode N' name.
`include_adult`	No	Include adult (NSFW) results. Defaults to false.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`page`	Yes
`results`	Yes
`total_pages`	Yes
`total_results`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed7 schema fields changedv0.14.0Oct 24, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / language / description

Previous value: -"Override the response language (ISO-639-1, optionally with a region), e.g. 'ru-RU' or 'en-US'. Localizes titles/overviews/genre names. Defaults to the server's TMDB_LANGUAGE."New value: +"Override the response language (ISO-639-1, optionally with a region), e.g. 'ru-RU' or 'en-US'. Localizes titles/overviews/genre names. Defaults to the server's TMDB_LANGUAGE. A well-formed code TMDB has no translation for (e.g. 'xx') is not an error: overviews come back null, movies/shows keep their original-language title, and episodes get a generic 'Episode N' name."

removedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / known_for_department / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]
```
addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / known_for_department / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / popularity / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / popularity / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / profile_url / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / profile_url / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

Changed2 schema fields changedv0.8.1Jul 26, 2026
- removedInput schema / properties / language / minLength
```
Removed value: -2
```
- addedInput schema / properties / language / pattern
```
Added value: +"^[a-z]{2}(-[A-Z]{2})?$"
```

Changed5 schema fields changedv0.8.0Jul 22, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedInput schema / properties / page / description

Previous value: -"1-based page number for pagination."New value: +"1-based page number for pagination (TMDB returns up to 20 results per page, max 500)."

changedInput schema / properties / page / maximum

Previous value: -9007199254740991New value: +500

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "page": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "results": {
+      "items": {
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "properties": {
+          "id": {
+            "type": "number"
+          },
+          "known_for": {
+            "items": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "type": "array"
+          },
+          "known_for_department": {
+            "anyOf": [
+              {
+                "type": "string"
+              },
+              {
+                "type": "null"
+              }
+            ]
+          },
+          "media_type": {
+            "const": "person",
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "name": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "popularity": {
+            "anyOf": [
+              {
+                "type": "number"
+              },
+              {
+                "type": "null"
+              }
+            ]
+          },
+          "profile_url": {
+            "anyOf": [
+              {
+                "type": "string"
+              },
+              {
+                "type": "null"
+              }
+            ]
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "id",
+          "media_type",
+          "known_for_department",
+          "popularity",
+          "profile_url",
+          "known_for"
+        ],
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "total_pages": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "total_results": {
+      "type": "number"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "results",
+    "page",
+    "total_pages",
+    "total_results"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedv0.3.0Jul 9, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint and openWorldHint, so safety and external-data traits are covered; the description adds real value by describing the return payload shape (id + best-known titles) and the get_person workflow dependency. It doesn't mention pagination or the adult-filter default, but the schema documents both, so the gap is minor.

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?

A single sentence doing three jobs: what it searches, what it returns, and when to prefer it over search_multi. Front-loaded with the core action and free of filler.

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

Completeness5/5

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

With an output schema present and full parameter documentation, the description need only cover routing and the downstream dependency, and it does exactly that. An agent has everything required to pick this tool and call it correctly.

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%, so query, page, language, and include_adult are all documented in structured data. The description only implies that query is a person name and adds nothing about page or language behavior, so the baseline 3 is appropriate.

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

Purpose5/5

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

States a specific verb and resource (search TMDB people), scopes it to actors/directors/crew, and describes the payload (TMDB id plus top 5 known_for titles). It also names search_multi as the contrasting sibling, so the tool is distinguishable without opening the schema.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

Explicitly routes the agent: use this over search_multi when the target is known to be a person. That names both the alternative and the condition that selects it, and it also flags the downstream tool (get_person) that consumes the returned id.

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