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ianderso
by ianderso

add_person

Create a new person in a Gramps tree, optionally adding birth or death events with citations to document the evidence.

Instructions

Create a new person, optionally with cited birth and/or death events.

Use this to add someone to the tree. Good practice: attach the birth event with a citation to the specific record that proves it (a birth or baptism certificate, a census entry), setting the citation's confidence honestly. If you only have a legacy-tree hint with no underlying record, either omit the event or set require_citation=False so it's flagged for follow-up.

Returns the new person's handle and gramps_id.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
birthNoOptional birth event. Include a citation unless recording as unsourced. The event type defaults to 'Birth'.
deathNoOptional death event; type defaults to 'Death'.
givenYesGiven/first name(s), e.g. 'John Robert'.
genderNofemale, male, or unknown.unknown
surnameNoFamily name / surname.
name_prefixNoSurname prefix, e.g. 'van', 'de'.
name_suffixNoSuffix, e.g. 'Jr.', 'III'.
require_citationNoIf True (default), any birth/death event MUST carry a citation or the call fails. Set False to record the event anyway, stamped with the UNSOURCED attribute so list_unsourced_facts can find it later.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed4 schema fields changedv1.2.0
    • removedInput schema / $defs / EventInput
      Removed value: -{
      -  "additionalProperties": false,
      -  "description": "A dated/placed fact about a person or family.",
      -  "properties": {
      -    "citation": {
      -      "anyOf": [
      -        {
      -          "$ref": "#/$defs/CitationInput"
      -        },
      -        {
      -          "type": "null"
      -        }
      -      ],
      -      "default": null,
      -      "description": "Citation supporting this event (see require_citation)."
      -    },
      -    "date": {
      -      "anyOf": [
      -        {
      -          "type": "string"
      -        },
      -        {
      -          "type": "null"
      -        }
      -      ],
      -      "default": null,
      -      "description": "Date, Gramps style: '1899', '12 JAN 1899', 'ABT 1900', 'BEF 1950'; 'BET 1898 AND 1901' happened once within the range; 'FROM 1864 TO 1865' lasted the whole span; 'FROM 1880' or 'TO 1890' is open at one end."
      -    },
      -    "description": {
      -      "anyOf": [
      -        {
      -          "type": "string"
      -        },
      -        {
      -          "type": "null"
      -        }
      -      ],
      -      "default": null,
      -      "description": "Free-text description."
      -    },
      -    "place": {
      -      "anyOf": [
      -        {
      -          "type": "string"
      -        },
      -        {
      -          "type": "null"
      -        }
      -      ],
      -      "default": null,
      -      "description": "Place reference. Resolved in order: existing handle/gramps_id, exact title ('Columbus, Ohio, USA'), then exact unique name ('Columbus' — errors if several places share it); only a string matching nothing creates a new place. Prefer the gramps_id or full title of an existing place."
      -    },
      -    "type": {
      -      "description": "Gramps event type, e.g. 'Birth', 'Death', 'Marriage', 'Baptism', 'Burial', 'Residence', 'Occupation', 'Census'.",
      -      "type": "string"
      -    }
      -  },
      -  "required": [
      -    "type"
      -  ],
      -  "type": "object"
      -}
    • addedInput schema / $defs / VitalEventInput
      Added value: +{
      +  "additionalProperties": false,
      +  "description": "A birth, death or marriage given with the person or family it belongs to.\n\nThe parameter already names the event, so its type may be left out;\n``add_person`` and ``add_family`` fill it in.",
      +  "properties": {
      +    "allow_new_type": {
      +      "default": false,
      +      "description": "Accept a type that is neither a Gramps standard type nor one of the tree's custom types, creating it as a new custom type. Only when meant: a near-miss is refused with the closest names.",
      +      "type": "boolean"
      +    },
      +    "citation": {
      +      "anyOf": [
      +        {
      +          "$ref": "#/$defs/CitationInput"
      +        },
      +        {
      +          "type": "null"
      +        }
      +      ],
      +      "default": null,
      +      "description": "Citation supporting this event (see require_citation)."
      +    },
      +    "date": {
      +      "anyOf": [
      +        {
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        {
      +          "type": "null"
      +        }
      +      ],
      +      "default": null,
      +      "description": "Date, Gramps style: '1899', '12 JAN 1899', 'ABT 1900', 'BEF 1950'; 'BET 1898 AND 1901' happened once within the range; 'FROM 1864 TO 1865' lasted the whole span; 'FROM 1880' or 'TO 1890' is open at one end."
      +    },
      +    "description": {
      +      "anyOf": [
      +        {
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        {
      +          "type": "null"
      +        }
      +      ],
      +      "default": null,
      +      "description": "Free-text description."
      +    },
      +    "place": {
      +      "anyOf": [
      +        {
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        {
      +          "type": "null"
      +        }
      +      ],
      +      "default": null,
      +      "description": "Place reference. Resolved in order: existing handle/gramps_id, exact title ('Columbus, Ohio, USA'), then exact unique name ('Columbus' — errors if several places share it); only a string matching nothing creates a new place. Prefer the gramps_id or full title of an existing place."
      +    },
      +    "type": {
      +      "anyOf": [
      +        {
      +          "type": "string"
      +        },
      +        {
      +          "type": "null"
      +        }
      +      ],
      +      "default": null,
      +      "description": "Leave out: the parameter names the event (Birth, Death or Marriage)."
      +    }
      +  },
      +  "type": "object"
      +}
    • changedInput schema / properties / birth / anyOf
      Previous value: -[
      -  {
      -    "$ref": "#/$defs/EventInput"
      -  },
      -  {
      -    "type": "null"
      -  }
      -]New value: +[
      +  {
      +    "$ref": "#/$defs/VitalEventInput"
      +  },
      +  {
      +    "type": "null"
      +  }
      +]
    • changedInput schema / properties / death / anyOf
      Previous value: -[
      -  {
      -    "$ref": "#/$defs/EventInput"
      -  },
      -  {
      -    "type": "null"
      -  }
      -]New value: +[
      +  {
      +    "$ref": "#/$defs/VitalEventInput"
      +  },
      +  {
      +    "type": "null"
      +  }
      +]
  2. Changed1 schema field changedv1.0.1
    • changedInput schema / $defs / EventInput / properties / date / description
      Previous value: -"Date, free text in Gramps style: '1899', '12 JAN 1899', 'ABT 1900', 'BET 1898 AND 1901', 'BEF 1950'."New value: +"Date, Gramps style: '1899', '12 JAN 1899', 'ABT 1900', 'BEF 1950'; 'BET 1898 AND 1901' happened once within the range; 'FROM 1864 TO 1865' lasted the whole span; 'FROM 1880' or 'TO 1890' is open at one end."
  3. First observedv0.1.0

TDQS

A4.4/5.0
Behavior5/5

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

Beyond the annotations (which only declare this is a non-read-only, non-idempotent write), the description discloses concrete behavior: the call FAILS if a birth/death event lacks a citation under the default require_citation=True, unsourced events get stamped with an UNSOURCED attribute that list_unsourced_facts can later surface, and it states the return value (handle and gramps_id). Those failure modes and side effects are not derivable from the annotations or schema.

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?

Four sentences, front-loaded with the core purpose, then the citation workflow, then the fallback for unsourced hints, then the return value. Every sentence carries actionable information and none restates the tool name or schema.

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?

There is no output schema, and the description fills that gap by naming the returned handle and gramps_id. Combined with the citation-requirement semantics and the UNSOURCED follow-up path, an agent has everything needed to invoke an 8-parameter mutation correctly.

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 the baseline is 3, but the description adds real interpretive value by explaining the intent behind require_citation (hard failure vs. flagged follow-up) and by instructing the agent to set citation confidence honestly. It reinforces rather than repeats the schema, so it earns one point above 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 gives a specific verb+resource ('Create a new person') and narrows scope with 'optionally with cited birth and/or death events', which is enough to separate it from pure event tools like add_event_to_person. It stops short of naming any sibling it must not be confused with (e.g. add_family), so it is clear but not fully differentiated.

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?

'Use this to add someone to the tree' anchors when to reach for it, and the citation guidance supplies conditional rules: cite the specific record when you have one, and either omit the event or set require_citation=False when only a legacy hint exists. No explicit 'use X instead when Y' routing to siblings is given, so it is strong context rather than full when/when-not guidance.

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