nominatim.geocode.lookup
Look up up to 50 specific OpenStreetMap objects by ID (node/way/relation, e.g. "R146656") and return their addresses and coordinates via Nominatim. Useful for resolving OSM IDs returned by other OSM-based tools. No auth required; ODbL licensed, © OpenStreetMap contributors.
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase/nominatim.geocode.lookup.md
What nominatim.geocode.lookup does on Apibase
AI agents call nominatim.geocode.lookup 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
osm_ids | array | Yes | OSM object IDs to resolve, each prefixed with its type: N (node), W (way), or R (relation) — e.g. ["R146656", "W284493291"]. Max 50. |
language | string | — | Preferred response language as an Accept-Language value (e.g. "en", "de-DE") |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why nominatim.geocode.lookup is rated Low
Retrieves publicly available geographic data with no side effects or modifications.
From the tool's definition Look up OpenStreetMap objects, return addresses and coordinates
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs nominatim.geocode.lookup 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 nominatim.geocode.lookup, this is the rule to start with:
nominatim.geocode.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 Apibase, apply this rule, and every nominatim.geocode.lookup call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about nominatim.geocode.lookup
Look up up to 50 specific OpenStreetMap objects by ID (node/way/relation, e.g. "R146656") and return their addresses and coordinates via Nominatim. Useful for resolving OSM IDs returned by other OSM-based tools. No auth required; ODbL licensed, © OpenStreetMap contributors. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Apibase MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
nominatim.geocode.lookup accepts 2 parameters: osm_ids, language. Required: osm_ids. 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 nominatim.geocode.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 Apibase. Nothing to install.
nominatim.geocode.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 nominatim.geocode.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 nominatim.geocode.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.
nominatim.geocode.lookup 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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