Invoke Search Tool MCP tool

Describe or call a typed GovTribe search tool through a compact search wrapper. Call the Documentation MCP tool first for search query and search_mode guidance, then use mode=describe to retrieve the selected tool schema and documentation before mode=call. Search_GovTribe and Search_Vector_Store stay top-level; use this tool only for represented typed Search_* tools.

MCP tool name: Invoke_Search_Tool
Returns: Invoke Search Tool MCP response
Annotations: Read only, not destructive, idempotent, closed world
Surfaces: GovTribe Compact MCP server

Examples

Invoke_Search_Tool is a provider-agnostic compact search wrapper for represented typed GovTribe Search_* tools. Its schema and workflow are not tied to a specific MCP client.

Availability

Invoke_Search_Tool is available only on the GovTribe Compact MCP server at https://govtribe.com/mcp/compact.

It is not available on the standard GovTribe MCP endpoint, the GovTribe OpenAI compatibility endpoint, grouped GovTribe MCP servers, or GovTribe AI analyst tool state. Those surfaces use direct typed Search_* tools or grouped search servers instead.

Workflow

Use a documentation-then-describe-then-call workflow:

Call the Documentation MCP tool first for search query and search_mode guidance when the agent needs to decide how to search.
Call Invoke_Search_Tool with mode: "describe" and a tool_name.
Read the returned tool descriptor for the selected search tool's real schema, descriptions, enums, annotations, and examples from the returned documentation payload.
Call Invoke_Search_Tool again with mode: "call", the same tool_name, and an arguments object that matches the selected search tool schema.

The wrapper validates only mode, tool_name, and arguments. The selected search tool validates its own filters, sorts, aggregations, field projection, access checks, billing preflight, and response shape.

Arguments

Argument	Type	Required	Use
`mode`	enum	Yes	Use `describe` to retrieve the selected search tool descriptor and exact docs. Use `call` to execute the selected search tool.
`tool_name`	enum	Yes	The represented typed GovTribe search tool name, such as `Search_Federal_Contract_Awards`, `Search_Federal_Grant_Awards`, or `Search_Pursuits`.
`arguments`	object	No	Free-form arguments passed to the selected search tool when `mode` is `call`. Omit for `describe`.

Represented search tools

The Compact MCP server exposes these typed search tools through Invoke_Search_Tool:

Search_Activity
Search_Contact_Groups
Search_Contacts
Search_FCV_Subcategories
Search_Federal_Agencies
Search_Federal_Contract_Awards
Search_Federal_Contract_IDVs
Search_Federal_Contract_Opportunities
Search_Federal_Contract_Sub_Awards
Search_Federal_Contract_Vehicle_Opportunities
Search_Federal_Contract_Vehicles
Search_Federal_Forecasts
Search_Federal_Grant_Awards
Search_Federal_Grant_Opportunities
Search_Federal_Grant_Programs
Search_Federal_Grant_Sub_Awards
Search_Federal_Transactions
Search_GAO_Bid_Protests
Search_GSA_Labor_Rates
Search_Government_Files
Search_Government_Related_News_Articles
Search_Jurisdictions
Search_Line_Items
Search_Major_Defense_Programs
Search_Naics_Categories
Search_Nigp_Categories
Search_Pipelines
Search_Psc_Categories
Search_Pursuit_Comments
Search_Pursuit_Discussions
Search_Pursuits
Search_Saved_Searches
Search_Service_Contract_Inventory
Search_Stages
Search_State_And_Local_Contract_Awards
Search_State_And_Local_Contract_IDVs
Search_State_And_Local_Contract_Opportunities
Search_State_And_Local_Contract_Vehicles
Search_States
Search_Tags
Search_Tasks
Search_Unspsc_Categories
Search_User_Files
Search_Users
Search_Vendors

Search_GovTribe and Search_Vector_Store are intentionally not represented by this wrapper. They remain top-level Compact MCP server tools for broad record resolution and vector-store retrieval.

Describe a search tool

Use describe before the first call to a represented search tool, or when the agent needs to refresh the selected tool's exact schema and docs.

{
  "tool": "Invoke_Search_Tool",
  "arguments": {
    "mode": "describe",
    "tool_name": "Search_Federal_Contract_Awards"
  }
}

The response includes:

tool: the selected search tool's normal MCP descriptor, including inputSchema.
documentation: exact GovTribe Docs content for the selected tool and its response payload.

Call a search tool

After reading the descriptor, pass the selected tool arguments inside arguments.

{
  "tool": "Invoke_Search_Tool",
  "arguments": {
    "mode": "call",
    "tool_name": "Search_Federal_Contract_Awards",
    "arguments": {
      "query": "facility modernization",
      "search_mode": "keyword",
      "fields_to_return": [
        "govtribe_id",
        "name",
        "govtribe_url",
        "award_date",
        "awardee"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Validation errors come from the selected search tool. For example, invalid fields_to_return values are reported using the same messages the selected Search_* tool would return if it were called directly on another GovTribe MCP server.

Invoke Search Tool MCP response: Review the response shape returned by this tool.
MCP servers: Review where this MCP tool can be used.
Source identifiers and record matching: Use GovTribe IDs and source identifiers when passing records between tools.

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