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Ontology MCP tools

Arguments, results, limits, and errors for each read-only Ontology MCP tool

The Ontology MCP provides nine read-only tools. Each tool returns a JSON object. Tools never change Datastruct data.

Tools

Tool Required arguments Optional arguments
search_ontology query None
browse_business_segments None parent
get_business_segment segment_id None
find_sources_for_business_function business_function_id concern
get_concern concern None
get_subject subject None
get_data_provider provider None
get_data_source source None
get_data_feature feature None

All arguments are strings. Pass an id or slug returned by an earlier tool result.

Shared conventions

  • Every item includes a url to its Datastruct Console page.
  • Descriptions are shortened to 300 characters.
  • search_ontology returns up to 10 items per result type, with a total count of all matches.
  • Every other list returns up to 50 items. A list named <name> is followed by <name>_truncated, which is true when more items exist.
  • importance is an integer from 1 to 4. fit gives its label: Low, Medium, High, or Very high.
  • Inactive business segments, data providers, data sources, and data features are omitted.

Feature availability

Each tool follows the Ontology page that shows the same information in Console. A tool returns the unavailable error when its page is unavailable to your organization.

Tool Console page
search_ontology Each result type follows its own page
browse_business_segments Business Segments
get_business_segment Business Segments
find_sources_for_business_function Graph
get_concern Concerns
get_subject Subjects
get_data_provider Providers
get_data_source Sources
get_data_feature Data Features

search_ontology omits result types whose page is unavailable.

search_ontology

Searches names and descriptions across the Ontology by keyword. Every word in query must match the start of a word. The query must contain at least three letters or numbers.

Argument Required Description
query Yes Search keywords
JSON
{
  "query": "flood",
  "results": {
    "business_segments": { "total": 1, "items": [] },
    "subjects": { "total": 0, "items": [] },
    "concerns": { "total": 2, "items": [] },
    "providers": { "total": 1, "items": [] },
    "sources": { "total": 3, "items": [] },
    "features": { "total": 4, "items": [] }
  }
}

Items are omitted from this example. Each item has id, name, description, and url. Business segment and concern items also have kind. Source items also have provider.

browse_business_segments

Lists one tier of the business segment hierarchy: industry, line of business, function group, then business function.

Argument Required Description
parent No Segment id whose children to list; omit for industries

Returns parent, items, and items_truncated. parent is null when the argument is omitted. Each item has id, name, kind, description, url, and child_count. For a business function, child_count is its number of concerns.

get_business_segment

Returns one business segment with its position in the hierarchy.

Argument Required Description
segment_id Yes Business segment id
Field Description
id, name, kind, description, url The segment
ancestors Parent segments, from the industry down
children, children_truncated Active child segments
decision Business functions only: role, moment, and options
concerns, concerns_truncated Business functions only: concerns asked

Each concern has id, name, importance, why_this_role_asks, and url, most important first.

find_sources_for_business_function

Follows a business function to its concerns, their sub-concerns, and the data sources that cover them.

Argument Required Description
business_function_id Yes Business function id
concern No Concern id or slug that limits the result
Field Description
business_function The business function
paths, paths_truncated Concern, sub-concern, and source paths

Each path has concern, sub_concern, sources, and sources_truncated. sub_concern includes its question. Each source has id, name, provider, importance, fit, capability_claim, and url, best fit first. Sub-concerns without an available source are omitted.

A segment that is not a business function returns an error.

get_concern

Returns a concern or a sub-concern.

Argument Required Description
concern Yes Concern or sub-concern id or slug

Both kinds return id, name, url, kind, description, question, aliases, and subject.

Kind Additional fields
Concern sub_concerns, business_functions, and their _truncated flags
Sub-concern parent_concerns, sources, and their _truncated flags

Sub-concern sources use the source shape from find_sources_for_business_function.

get_subject

Returns a subject, its related subjects, and the sub-concerns about it.

Argument Required Description
subject Yes Subject id or slug
Field Description
id, name, url, description The subject
parent, contained_by Related subjects, or null
subtypes, subtypes_truncated Direct subtypes
sub_concerns, sub_concerns_truncated Sub-concerns and their sources

Sub-concerns include those about the subject and its direct subtypes.

get_data_provider

Returns a data provider and the data sources it offers.

Argument Required Description
provider Yes Data provider id or slug
Field Description
id, name, url, description, sector The provider
website_url, founded_year Provider facts, or null
trust_url, privacy_policy_url Trust and privacy links, or null
dpa_available, has_gdpr Data processing and GDPR indicators
sources, sources_truncated Sources with access_cost

get_data_source

Returns a data source, the data features it outputs, and the sub-concerns it covers.

Argument Required Description
source Yes Data source id or provider_slug/source_slug
Field Description
id, name, url, description, provider The source
access_cost, coverage_scope, coverage_summary Access and coverage
terms_summary, license Terms and license identifier
delivery Booleans: api, batch_enrich, and full_file
developer_portal_url Developer portal, or null
features, features_truncated Data features and their evidence
covers, covers_truncated Sub-concerns with importance and fit

get_data_feature

Returns a data feature and the data sources that provide it.

Argument Required Description
feature Yes Data feature id or slug

Returns id, name, description, url, sources, and sources_truncated. Each source has id, name, provider, evidence, and url.

Tool errors

A tool error is returned as a successful MCP result with one error field.

JSON
{
  "error": "Concern not found. Use an id or slug from another tool result."
}
Condition error message
Unknown or inactive item <Item> not found. Use an id or slug from another tool result.
Query too short Use at least 3 letters or numbers to search the Ontology.
Page unavailable This part of the Ontology is not available to your organization.
Not a business function Names the segment kind and suggests browse_business_segments

Authorization failures return HTTP errors before any tool runs. See Ontology MCP errors.