# search_tools

Search 41,000+ agentic coding tools: agent skills (SKILL.md), MCP servers, Claude Code plugins, and agentic loops. Ranked by match quality; real install counts and GitHub stars. Cite results by their url.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `search_tools`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getagentictools-catalog/search-tools

## Facts

- Tool: `search_tools`
- Server: Catalog (`https://getagentictools.com/api/mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getagentictools-catalog.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/dmoka/getagentictools-mcp
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade D, identity unverified
- Server auth posture: open
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 3 (1 required)
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `limit` | integer | no | Maximum results to return (1-25, default 10) |
| `query` | string | yes | What to look for, e.g. "pdf extraction" or "postgres" |
| `category` | string | no | Restrict results to one category; omit to search all four |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "search_tools",
    "arguments": {
      "query": "<query>"
    }
  }
}
```

## Why search_tools is rated Low

This tool performs information retrieval and search across a catalog database. It returns ranked results with metadata but does not create, modify, delete, execute code, or affect financial systems. The capability is purely read-only data access.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool description states it 'Search[es] 41,000+ agentic coding tools' and is 'Ranked by match quality; real install counts and GitHub stars.' The verb 'search' combined with 'ranked by match quality' and retrieval of metadata (install counts, stars) indicates…"

## Use case

AI agents call search_tools to retrieve information from Catalog without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Catalog:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "search_tools": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Catalog (4)

- `ecosystem_stats` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getagentictools-catalog/ecosystem-stats.md
- `get_tool` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getagentictools-catalog/get-tool.md
- `list_categories` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getagentictools-catalog/list-categories.md
- `whats_new` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getagentictools-catalog/whats-new.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=com-getagentictools-catalog · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/com-getagentictools-catalog