census_geography_lookup
Look up Census FIPS codes by name. Supports state name or 2-letter code, ZIP code (5 digits), and (for state) substring matching. Use this to find the FIPS codes needed by other census_* tools.
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/census-geography-lookup.md
What census_geography_lookup does on Livedatalink
AI agents call census_geography_lookup to retrieve information from Livedatalink 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
level | string | — | Optional filter: state, county, zcta, place. |
limit | number | — | Max matches (default 10). |
query | string | Yes | Free-text: state name ('Texas'), state code ('TX'), or 5-digit ZIP ('77301'). |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why census_geography_lookup is rated Low
Even though census_geography_lookup only reads data, uncontrolled read access leaks sensitive information and racks up API costs: an agent caught in a retry loop can make thousands of calls a minute without anyone noticing.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs census_geography_lookup safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Livedatalink, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For census_geography_lookup, this is the rule to start with:
census_geography_lookup 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 Livedatalink, apply this rule, and every census_geography_lookup call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about census_geography_lookup
Look up Census FIPS codes by name. Supports state name or 2-letter code, ZIP code (5 digits), and (for state) substring matching. Use this to find the FIPS codes needed by other census_* tools. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Livedatalink MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
census_geography_lookup accepts 3 parameters: level, limit, query. Required: query. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Livedatalink MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for census_geography_lookup: 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 Livedatalink. Nothing to install.
census_geography_lookup 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 census_geography_lookup 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 census_geography_lookup. 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.
census_geography_lookup is provided by the Livedatalink MCP server (https://livedatalink.ai/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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