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familysearch-mcp

by ianderso
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Python
Remote

browse_waypoints

Read-only

Browse a collection's structure to reach images the index never covered. Start with a collection ID, then use waypoints to navigate counties, volumes, or date ranges.

Instructions

Browse a collection's structure — its places, volumes and images.

The way to reach a page the index never covered: collection, then county, volume or date range, then images. An image's ark opens with get_image_links.

Start with a collection_id. To descend, pass a child's waypoint_id and the same collection_id: FamilySearch refuses a waypoint without its collection. A collection with nothing to browse says so.

Works without a token.

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
offsetNoChildren to skip: a volume lists at most 1,000 images per call.
waypoint_idNoA child's waypoint_id, to browse one level further down. Pass the collection_id it was listed under with it.
collection_idNoCollection id to browse, e.g. '1916078'. Needed to descend too.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed3 schema fields changedv1.3.0
    • changedInput schema / properties / collection_id / description
      Previous value: -"Collection id to browse from the top, e.g. '1916078'."New value: +"Collection id to browse, e.g. '1916078'. Needed to descend too."
    • addedInput schema / properties / offset
      Added value: +{
+  "default": 0,
+  "description": "Children to skip: a volume lists at most 1,000 images per call.",
+  "type": "integer"
+}
    • changedInput schema / properties / waypoint_id / description
      Previous value: -"Waypoint id to browse one level further down. Take it from a previous call's children."New value: +"A child's waypoint_id, to browse one level further down. Pass the collection_id it was listed under with it."
  2. First observedv0.1.0

TDQS

A4.3/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

Annotations declare readOnlyHint and openWorldHint, so safety is covered. The description adds real surface beyond that: an error constraint ('FamilySearch refuses a waypoint without its collection'), an auth disclosure ('Works without a token'), and a response behavior ('A collection with nothing to browse says so') — all useful for an open-world tool.

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?

Purpose is front-loaded and no sentence is pure filler. The prose is slightly fractured and rhetorical ('The way to reach a page the index never covered'), but each statement carries usable information.

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?

There is no output schema, yet the description covers the traversal workflow, the token requirement, the collection/waypoint coupling, and the empty-collection case. Enough for an agent to invoke it correctly, though the exact return shape of a waypoint listing is left implicit.

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 coverage is 100%, so the per-field baseline is 3. The description adds cross-parameter meaning the schema states only per field: collection_id is the entry point, and descent requires passing a child's waypoint_id together with the same collection_id.

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 (browse) and resource (a collection's waypoint structure: places, volumes, images), and the hierarchy it navigates. It distinguishes itself from siblings by naming get_image_links as the route for image arks, so an agent can tell them apart without opening either 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 a clear when-to-use ('the way to reach a page the index never covered') and prescribes the traversal order (collection, then county/volume/date range, then images). It names the alternative for image arks (get_image_links), though it never explicitly states when to prefer get_collection or search_collections instead.

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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