opendata-atlas

Read reference

atlas_get_reference

Read-only

Read reference topics for the opendata-atlas server, including capabilities, portals, dataset guides, SoQL help, and error catalog. Call with no arguments to get the index.

Instructions

Read the server's reference: capability summary, portals, dataset guides, SoQL help, error catalog, and tier definitions. Call with no arguments for the index.

If your client did not show you the server instructions, read topic capabilities before your first query. Example: {"topic": "soql", "item_id": "dates"}. With cursor, repeat only topic and, for guides, portal.

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "atlas_get_reference"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`topic`	No	Default index.
`cursor`	No	next_cursor from the previous page; omit for page one.
`portal`	No	Portal id or alias. Required for topic guides; for topic portals, the same as item_id; rejected on other topics.
`item_id`	No	An item from the topic's entries, or for portals a portal id or alias; omit for the index.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`uri`	Yes
`body`	No
`title`	Yes
`topic`	Yes
`source`	Yes
`entries`	No
`summary`	Yes
`version`	Yes
`has_more`	No
`next_cursor`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed3 schema fields changedv0.3.0Nov 2, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / portal / description

Previous value: -"Portal id or alias. Required for topic guides; rejected on other topics."New value: +"Portal id or alias. Required for topic guides; for topic portals, the same as item_id; rejected on other topics."

removedOutput schema / properties / source / properties / now_local_reason / type
```
Removed value: -"string"
```
removedOutput schema / properties / source / properties / portal / properties / tier / type
```
Removed value: -"string"
```

First observedv0.1.0Oct 20, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds genuine behavioral context beyond that: the no-argument default resolves to the index, and on pagination only topic (plus portal for guides) must be repeated. It does not describe paging limits or what an empty/missing topic does, which the output schema presumably covers.

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?

Roughly four short sentences covering content, defaults, a prerequisite, an example, and pagination; nothing is redundant with the schema. The inline example interrupts the prose flow slightly and the sentences are not ordered by importance (the pagination rule trails), but the opening sentence is properly front-loaded.

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?

With an output schema present, return values need no explanation, and the description correctly omits them. All four parameters are covered by schema plus description. The only residual gap for a four-parameter, enum-driven dispatch tool is what happens on an invalid topic/item combination, though the schema's enum and pattern constraints largely pre-empt that.

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

Parameters4/5

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

Schema description coverage is 100%, so baseline would be 3. The description pushes above baseline by adding cross-parameter semantics the schema cannot express: the index default when arguments are omitted, a worked example binding topic to item_id ({"soql": "dates"}), and the constraint that cursor follow-ups repeat only topic and portal.

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 ("read the server's reference") and then enumerates exactly what the reference contains: capability summary, portals, dataset guides, SoQL help, error catalog, tier definitions. It is clearly documentation-retrieval, distinguishable from the sibling data tools (find_portals, search_datasets, describe_dataset, query_dataset) without inspecting any schema.

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

Gives concrete entry conditions: "Call with no arguments for the index" and "read topic capabilities before your first query" if server instructions were not shown. It also gives an explicit call example and a pagination rule ("With cursor, repeat only topic and, for guides, portal"). It stops short of naming when a sibling should be used instead, so routing to the data tools is left implicit.

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

Deploy Server