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norway-archives-mcp

norway-archives-mcp

by ianderso
OverviewSchemaSourceRelated ServersDiscussionsAdmin
Python
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da_search_persons

Read-only

Search Digitalarkivet's transcribed church books, censuses, and emigrant lists for a person; filter by name, place, and year, then use each hit's record address for follow-up lookup.

Instructions

Search Digitalarkivet's transcribed records for a person.

Covers transcribed church-book entries, censuses (1801-1920), emigrant lists and more. Each hit gives the record's address for da_get_record. Only transcribed lists are searched.

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": "da_search_persons"
  }
}

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
pageNoResult page, 50 hits each.
refreshNoTrue asks again instead of using the cached answer, and replaces it.
domicileNoResidence or farm as written.
last_nameNoSurname; * is a wildcard, e.g. 'Rønning*'.
list_typeNoOne list, by code or label: dp baptisms, kf confirmations, vi marriages, gr burials, uf out-migrated, if in-migrated, fl in/out-migrated.
first_nameNoGiven name(s).
birth_placeNoBirthplace as written in the record.
municipalityNoHistorical municipality: name or four-digit number (see municipalities).
birth_year_toNoLatest birth year.
event_year_toNoLatest event year.
name_variantsNoAlso match Digitalarkivet's name variants.
birth_year_fromNoEarliest birth year.
event_year_fromNoEarliest event year.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. First observedv0.1.0

TDQS

A3.6/5.0
Behavior3/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=true, so the safety profile is covered and the bar is lower. The description adds real value by scoping what is covered (transcription only, not scans) and by saying each hit carries a record address for follow-up; it says nothing about pagination behaviour, total-hit reporting, or what the 'refresh' cache replacement actually entails.

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?

Four short sentences, front-loaded with the core action and coverage, then the follow-up pointer. The word 'transcribed' recurs three times ('transcribed records', 'transcribed church-book entries', 'transcribed lists'), a minor redundancy in an otherwise tight definition.

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?

For a 13-facet search with no output schema, the description supplies the essentials: what corpus is searched, what the limits are, and what a hit contains for chaining into da_get_record. Sort order, hit totals and page-size handling are left to the schema, which is a small but acceptable gap.

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% across all 13 parameters, including wildcard syntax for last_name and list_type codes, so the schema does the heavy lifting. The description adds no parameter-level meaning (no guidance on combining name_variants with wildcards, or on birth-year vs event-year filtering), making the baseline 3 appropriate.

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?

States a specific verb and resource ('Search Digitalarkivet's transcribed records for a person') and enumerates the covered material (church books, censuses 1801-1920, emigrant lists). It implicitly separates itself from source-level search by stressing 'transcribed lists only', but never names da_search_sources or da_search_persons' counterparts, so sibling differentiation is left to inference.

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 workflow: find the person here, then follow the record's address to da_get_record, which is exactly the when-to-use context an agent needs. It also sets a boundary ('Only transcribed lists are searched'), though it stops short of an explicit exclusion such as 'use da_search_sources to locate the archive/source itself'.

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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