> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://develop.cotality.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Docs for AI agents

> Conventions this portal uses so AI agents and LLMs can plan Cotality tool calls accurately and efficiently.

<Note>
  This page is written for **AI agents and LLMs** consuming this portal at inference time. If
  you're a human, it also explains why pages are structured the way they are.
</Note>

## Read this first

Every capability page in this portal is written to be **parsed, not just read**. Pages follow a
consistent, high-signal structure so an agent can extract facts without ambiguity and plan
tool calls without hallucinating capabilities.

## Structure you can rely on

Each product and data page surfaces these blocks in a predictable order:

| Block                       | What it tells you                                                           |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **One-line declaration**    | Exactly what the capability does — no marketing preamble                    |
| **Data capabilities table** | The concrete domains, key metrics, and use cases available                  |
| **Data scope table**        | Geographic granularity, update frequency, historical depth, and exclusions  |
| **Input / output schema**   | Parameters and the shared [response envelope](/reference/response-envelope) |
| **Example request**         | A copy-paste JSON-RPC or REST call                                          |
| **Error codes**             | Machine-readable codes and agent action guidance                            |

## Rules for planning tool calls

<Steps>
  <Step title="Resolve identity before data">
    If the user provides an address, call the CLIP resolver first — `clip-find_property_by_full_address` — then use the returned CLIP for all downstream data tools. Never guess or fabricate a CLIP. See [Identifiers](/ontology/identifiers).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check exclusions before calling">
    Every data-returning page has an **Exclusions** row in its data scope table. Do not send commercial or non-U.S. queries to U.S. residential tools. Check before calling.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Honour temporal limits">
    Market and HPI data is monthly. Do not request real-time or daily values from a monthly asset. Check the **Update frequency** and **Historical depth** rows in the data scope table, or see [Data freshness](/ontology/data-freshness).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Iterate structure arrays">
    A parcel can contain multiple structures. If `summaryNumberOfBuildings > 1`, iterate the `structure` array — do not assume a single building. See [Property Characteristics](/mcp/property-data/tools/property-characteristics).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Always check the envelope">
    Read `success`, `count`, and `messages` on every response before reading `data`. Surface `messages` to the user — they carry freshness warnings, partial-match notices, and deprecation signals. See [Response envelope](/reference/response-envelope).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Never fabricate on 404">
    If CLIP resolution or a data query returns no results, report that to the user. Do not invent a value. See [Error handling](/reference/error-handling).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Token efficiency

Pages use **key-value tables and bullets over prose** so agents spend fewer tokens and parse with
higher accuracy. When summarising back to a user, prefer the same structured format.

## Machine-readable index

The portal exposes standard discovery files:

* `/llms.txt` — concise map of all pages and their purpose for LLM navigation
* `/sitemap.xml` — full page listing
* Per-tool JSON schemas are linked from each [MCP](/mcp/overview) reference page

## Prompting and orchestration

For ready-to-use agent instructions per workflow:

* [Prompting patterns](/reference/prompting-patterns) — reliable patterns for orchestrating Cotality tools
* [System prompt templates](/reference/system-prompt-templates) — copy-paste system instructions for common agent workflows