search_itis

General search for the ITIS database using SOLR queries. Use this for complex or specific queries that other tools cannot handle.

Server ITIS MCP Server knustx/itis-mcp-server
Category Read
Risk class Low
Parameters 00 required

What search_itis does on ITIS MCP Server

AI agents call search_itis to retrieve information from ITIS MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Why search_itis needs a policy

This tool retrieves taxonomic information from the ITIS database. While it uses SOLR queries (which could theoretically be misused in some contexts), the ITIS system is a public, read-only taxonomic reference database. Misuse results in at worst information disclosure of already-public taxonomic data. No data can be modified, deleted, or executed; no financial or system-level operations are possible.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'General search for the ITIS database using SOLR queries' — this is a search/query operation against a taxonomic database with no modification, deletion, or execution of arbitrary commands.

Questions about search_itis

What does the search_itis tool do? +

General search for the ITIS database using SOLR queries. Use this for complex or specific queries that other tools cannot handle. It is categorised as a Read tool in the ITIS MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on search_itis? +

Register the ITIS MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_itis: 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 ITIS MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is search_itis? +

search_itis is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit search_itis? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_itis 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.

How do I block search_itis completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for search_itis. 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.

What MCP server provides search_itis? +

search_itis is provided by the ITIS MCP Server MCP server (knustx/itis-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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