hdx.datasets.search
Search the Humanitarian Data Exchange catalog for datasets by free-text query, country, and/or publishing organization. Returns each dataset's id, title, notes, organization, resource count, dataset date range, license, and tags. Covers population, displacement, food security, health, conflict, a...
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase/hdx.datasets.search.md
What hdx.datasets.search does on Apibase
AI agents call hdx.datasets.search to retrieve information from Apibase 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
rows | integer | — | Number of datasets to return (1-20, default 10) |
query | string | — | Free-text search across dataset title/description (e.g. "food security") |
country | string | — | HDX location slug to filter by (e.g. "som" for Somalia, "ukr" for Ukraine) |
organization | string | — | HDX organization slug to filter by (e.g. "who", "unhcr", "ocha-fts") |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why hdx.datasets.search is rated Low
Tool queries and retrieves public humanitarian dataset metadata without side effects.
From the tool's definition Search humanitarian data exchange catalog, returns dataset metadata, no auth required
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs hdx.datasets.search safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Apibase, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For hdx.datasets.search, this is the rule to start with:
hdx.datasets.search 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 Apibase, apply this rule, and every hdx.datasets.search call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about hdx.datasets.search
Search the Humanitarian Data Exchange catalog for datasets by free-text query, country, and/or publishing organization. Returns each dataset's id, title, notes, organization, resource count, dataset date range, license, and tags. Covers population, displacement, food security, health, conflict, and climate data for humanitarian response. Data: HDX CKAN Action API (data.humdata.org), no auth required. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Apibase MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
hdx.datasets.search accepts 4 parameters: rows, query, country, organization. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Apibase MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for hdx.datasets.search: 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 Apibase. Nothing to install.
hdx.datasets.search 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 hdx.datasets.search 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 hdx.datasets.search. 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.
hdx.datasets.search is provided by the Apibase MCP server (apibase-mcp-client). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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