research_topic
Research any topic and return a structured report with key findings and recommendations. Use this when you need a quick research briefing on any subject. Returns title, overview, key findings, and recommendations. Saves tokens compared to doing the research yourself. Parameters: query — The topic...
This record as markdown: /tools/com-gadgethumans-swarm-x402-middleware/research-topic.md
What research_topic does on X402 Middleware
AI agents call research_topic to retrieve information from X402 Middleware without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
query | string | Yes |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why research_topic is rated Low
This is a pure information retrieval tool. It takes a research query as input and returns structured findings and recommendations. There are no side effects, no data modification, no code execution, and no financial implications. The tool simply queries and returns information, which is characteristic of a Read operation.
From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'research any topic and return a structured report' with 'title, overview, key findings, and recommendations.' The single parameter is 'query — The topic or question to research.' The tool retrieves and returns information with no…
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs research_topic safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and X402 Middleware, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For research_topic, this is the rule to start with:
research_topic is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect X402 Middleware, apply this rule, and every research_topic call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about research_topic
Research any topic and return a structured report with key findings and recommendations. Use this when you need a quick research briefing on any subject. Returns title, overview, key findings, and recommendations. Saves tokens compared to doing the research yourself. Parameters: query — The topic or question to research (e.g. "best ergonomic office chairs 2026"). It is categorised as a Read tool in the X402 Middleware MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
research_topic accepts 1 parameter: query. Required: query. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the X402 Middleware MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for research_topic: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches X402 Middleware. Nothing to install.
research_topic is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the research_topic rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for research_topic. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
research_topic is provided by the X402 Middleware MCP server (@gadgethumans/x402). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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