Parchment

Parchment — connector documentation

• MCP endpoint: https://parchment.connectorbay.com/mcp
• REST API: POST https://parchment.connectorbay.com/v1/tools/{tool_name}, described by the OpenAPI 3.1 spec at https://parchment.connectorbay.com/openapi.json
• Transport: Streamable HTTP, stateless, MCP specification 2025-06-18 or later
• Authentication: none required. An optional Authorization: Bearer <key> raises rate limits.
• Health: https://parchment.connectorbay.com/health · Tool schemas: https://parchment.connectorbay.com/tools.json
• Publisher: Unify Dynamics LLC · connectorbay.com/parchment · agent@connectorbay.com

What Parchment is for

Family-history research has a learning curve of its own, separate from any specific family — how to actually start, what a "genealogical proof standard" even means, which record type is likely to answer a given question, how to cite what you find, what a DNA test can and can't tell you, and what to try when a line of research goes cold. Parchment answers that how-to-research layer from one hand-curated reference, verified against public genealogical-standards material, without hunting through a dozen contradictory blog posts.

What it does

How to start and work backward one verified generation at a time, plus the Genealogical Proof Standard's five components — reasonably exhaustive research, complete source citations, skillful analysis, resolving contradictions, and a soundly reasoned conclusion (research_methodology_guide); what census, vital (birth/marriage/death), immigration & naturalization, military, church, and probate/will records typically contain and how they're generally accessed, in general terms rather than pointing at one specific paid database (record_type_info, record_type_search); genealogical source-citation and documentation best practices, including the original/derivative, primary/secondary, and direct/indirect evidence distinctions (citation_guide); autosomal, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA testing explained as genealogy research tools — what each traces and who can take it, with an explicit, standing disclaimer that this connector gives no health, medical, or genetic-trait interpretation under any circumstance (dna_testing_basics_guide); general troubleshooting strategies for a stalled ("brick wall") research problem, from re-examining existing sources to the FAN club (Friends, Associates, Neighbors) method to DNA evidence (brick_wall_strategies_guide); general historical context that shapes research — naming-convention changes, historical immigration-wave patterns, and how record-keeping itself changed (calendars, when civil registration began, record loss) (historical_context_guide); a suggested research-log structure for tracking what's been searched and what it turned up (research_log_template_guide); and a glossary of common genealogy terms like pedigree chart, GEDCOM, and collateral relative (genealogy_glossary).

What it is not

Parchment is a research-methodology reference, not a people-search tool or a records database. It never looks up, holds, or returns information about any specific real individual, living or deceased — every answer is general reference material about how research works and what a record type or a DNA test generally involves. For an actual record about a specific person, use a national or state archive, a library, a civil or religious registry office, or a genealogy records service directly. It is also not a source of health, medical, or genetic-trait interpretation: DNA-testing content covers ancestry and relative-matching use only, and a real health question belongs with a doctor or a genetic counselor, never a lookup here. And it is not a live archive index — record-type descriptions are general and educational, not a guarantee of what any one specific collection holds or how any one specific provider's access process works today.

Tools

Methodology

research_methodology_guide — How to approach genealogy research: starting with yourself and home sources, working backward one verified generation at a time, the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS), and the overall research cycle. Never looks up a specific person. Use for "how do I start researching my family tree", "what is the genealogical proof standard", "how do I work backward in my research". Args: topic.

Records

record_type_info — What a genealogical record type (census, vital/BMD, immigration & naturalization, military, church, probate & wills) generally contains and how it's generally accessed — archives, registries, and repositories in general terms, not tied to any one specific database. Use for "what's in a census record", "how do I find a naturalization record", "what does a probate file usually contain". Args: type.

record_type_search — Search the six record-type guides (census, vital records, immigration, military, church, probate) by keyword, alias, or description. Use for "what record type covers wills", "where would a baptism be recorded". Args: query.

Documentation

citation_guide — Genealogical source-citation and documentation best practices: why citing matters, the core elements of a complete citation, and the original/derivative, primary/secondary, and direct/indirect evidence distinctions. Use for "how do I cite a genealogy source", "what's the difference between a primary and secondary source".

research_log_template_guide — A suggested research-log structure for tracking genealogy sources searched — the columns to keep, why logging a "not found" search matters, and practical tips. Use for "how do I keep track of my genealogy research", "what should a research log include".

DNA

dna_testing_basics_guide — Autosomal, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA testing as genealogy research tools — what each traces and who can take it. Gives NO health, medical, or genetic-trait interpretation under any circumstance; a real health question belongs with a doctor or genetic counselor. Use for "what's the difference between autosomal and Y-DNA testing", "who can take an mtDNA test", "how does DNA testing help genealogy". Args: test_type.

Strategy

brick_wall_strategies_guide — General troubleshooting strategies for a stalled ("brick wall") genealogy research problem — re-examining existing sources, the FAN club (Friends, Associates, Neighbors) method, substitute records, name and place variants, timelines, DNA evidence, and more. Use for "my research hit a dead end, what do I try next", "how do I get past a genealogy brick wall".

historical_context_guide — General historical context that affects genealogy research — naming-convention changes (patronymics, Anglicization, spelling drift), general historical immigration-wave patterns, and how record-keeping (calendar changes, when civil registration began, record loss) changed over time. General historical education, never tied to any specific real family. Use for "why did my ancestor's surname change over time", "why do old dates look different", "what were the major immigration waves". Args: topic.

Reference

genealogy_glossary — Definitions of common genealogy terms (pedigree chart, GEDCOM, collateral relative, FAN club, patronymic, and more). Use for "what does GEDCOM mean", "what's a collateral relative". Args: term.

Conventions

• Read-only. Every tool reads public data or computes; nothing is written anywhere and nothing about the user is stored.
• Result envelope. ok: true with data, or ok: false with a structured error (bad_input, not_found, upstream_error). degraded lists optional sources that were unreachable.
• Rate limits. Free tier 60 tool calls/minute and 300/day per user (keyed on the user identifier supplied by the host agent, else client IP); Pro keys raise this. Over-limit calls return HTTP 429 with Retry-After. initialize and tools/list are never counted.

Support

agent@connectorbay.com · connectorbay.com/parchment/support

Parchment — Privacy Policy

Effective 24 September 2026. Unify Dynamics LLC ("we", "us"), Menlo Park, California.

What Parchment is. Parchment is a connector (an MCP server and REST API) that AI assistants and personal agents call on your behalf for a genealogy research-methodology reference: how to approach family-history research, what record types generally contain, citation practices, DNA-testing basics, brick-wall troubleshooting strategies, historical research context, a research-log template, and a glossary. You interact with your assistant; the assistant sends us only the arguments needed for that one lookup. Parchment is not a people-search tool or a records database, and it does not look up, hold, or return information about any specific real individual.

What we receive. The arguments of each tool call — a methodology topic, a record-type name or search keyword, a DNA test type, a historical-context topic, or a glossary term — the technical headers needed to serve the request (an IP address or a client identifier supplied by the assistant, and a Pro API key if you have one), and standard server logs.

Everything is answered from a bundled, hand-curated reference file and nothing is stored. No request is forwarded to any third party — there is no upstream call at all, live or otherwise — and no query is logged in request bodies, recorded, or used to train anything.

What we do not receive or store. We do not receive your conversation with the assistant, your name, or any information about a specific person you may be researching, any family relationship, or any DNA test result, and we do not build a profile from your queries: each request is answered independently and nothing carries over between requests. Rate-limit counters (a client identifier and timestamps) are held in memory for at most 24 hours. Hosting-provider access logs, which contain IP addresses and request paths but not request bodies, are retained for up to 30 days for security and abuse prevention.

Sub-processors. None — the entire dataset is bundled with the server and answered locally. Hosting: Vercel (United States regions).

Legal bases and your rights. Our processing is necessary to provide the service you request through your assistant. Because we store no personal data beyond short-lived logs, requests to access, correct or delete personal data are usually satisfied automatically; you can still contact agent@connectorbay.com and we will respond within 30 days. We do not sell or share personal information and do not use your data to train models.

Children. Parchment is a general-audience service operated by the adult using the assistant.

Changes. We will post changes here with a new effective date.

Parchment — Terms of Service

Effective 24 September 2026. These terms govern use of the Parchment connector ("the Service") operated by Unify Dynamics LLC ("we", "us").

1. The Service. Parchment returns a hand-curated genealogy research-methodology reference — research strategy and the Genealogical Proof Standard, record-type guides (census, vital, immigration & naturalization, military, church, probate), citation and documentation best practices, DNA-testing basics, brick-wall troubleshooting strategies, historical research context, a research-log template, and a glossary — from data bundled with the server. It is accessed through an AI assistant or directly over MCP or HTTP.
2. A methodology and reference tool, not a people-search service or professional advice. Parchment teaches research method and general record-type and DNA-testing concepts for reference only. It does not look up, hold, or return records or information about any specific real individual, living or deceased, and it is not a substitute for a national or state archive, a library, a civil or religious registry office, or a genealogy records service, any of which are needed for an actual record. It is not professional genealogical, legal, or immigration advice. Its DNA-testing content is general and educational, covers ancestry and relative-matching use only, and is never health, medical, or genetic-trait interpretation — no output from this Service should be relied on for a health decision, and a real health question belongs with a doctor or a genetic counselor.
3. General information; results and record availability vary. What a record type generally contains, how it is generally accessed, and what a given research strategy turns up all vary by place, period, and surviving records — nothing in the Service guarantees that a specific record exists, has survived, or is accessible through any particular repository today.
4. Acceptable use. Automated use within the published rate limits is welcome.
5. Availability. The Service is provided "as is" without warranty. We may change, limit or discontinue it at any time.
6. Data. Our Privacy Policy describes what we process. In short: your query is answered from a bundled reference file, and nothing is stored.
7. Pro keys. Optional Pro API keys are issued at our discretion, are personal to the holder and may be revoked for abuse.
8. Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Unify Dynamics LLC is not liable for any loss arising from use of or reliance on the Service, including a decision made about researching, contacting, or DNA- testing in connection with a family member. Our total liability is limited to US $100.
9. Governing law. California law; venue in San Mateo County, California.
10. Contact. Unify Dynamics LLC · agent@connectorbay.com · https://connectorbay.com/parchment

Parchment support

Email agent@connectorbay.com. We answer within two business days.

• MCP endpoint: https://parchment.connectorbay.com/mcp
• REST API: https://parchment.connectorbay.com/openapi.json
• Live status: https://parchment.connectorbay.com/health

When you report a problem, include the question you asked your agent, roughly when, and which agent you used (for example Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini). Never send us passwords, account numbers or ID numbers. Parchment never asks for them.