# search_providers

Find local service businesses on Caboo by name, category, or area. Returns published businesses with the actions each one supports in its capabilities array. An empty providers list is a valid result — relay it politely; never invent businesses.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `search_providers`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getcaboo-caboo/search-providers

## Facts

- Tool: `search_providers`
- Server: Caboo (`https://getcaboo.com/mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getcaboo-caboo.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/https://getcaboo.com/mcp
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade C, identity unverified
- Server auth posture: open
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 4
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `limit` | integer | no | Maximum providers to return (default 5). |
| `query` | string | no | Free-text business name or need, e.g. "braider" or "Braids by Ada". |
| `category` | string | no | Business category, e.g. "hair salon", "law firm". |
| `locality` | string | no | Suburb, city, or area, e.g. "Gardens" or "Cape Town". |

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_providers",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why search_providers is rated Low

This is a straightforward search/query operation that retrieves information about service providers. It has no side effects, does not modify state, and does not execute operations or commit financial transactions. It simply queries and returns existing provider data, making it a Read category tool with low severity.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool description states it 'Find[s] local service businesses' and 'Returns published businesses'. The verb 'search' and 'find' indicate data retrieval with no modification."

## Use case

AI agents call search_providers to retrieve information from Caboo 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 Caboo:

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

## Other tools on Caboo (5)

- `book_get_availability` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getcaboo-caboo/book-get-availability.md
- `book_get_booking_status` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getcaboo-caboo/book-get-booking-status.md
- `book_list_services` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getcaboo-caboo/book-list-services.md
- `get_provider` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getcaboo-caboo/get-provider.md
- `book_hold_slot` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getcaboo-caboo/book-hold-slot.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-getcaboo-caboo · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/com-getcaboo-caboo