What is the Hoist Connector?

The Hoist Connector is the collective name for the three surfaces through which AI agents and developer workflows connect to Hoist: the MCP server, the REST API, and the CLI. It is the layer between your agent and Australian register data.

The three surfaces

• MCP server: the primary surface for AI agents. Exposes intent-level tools for live ABN/GST and snapshot-backed counterparty or risk checks after their required trusted data loads. Missing snapshots return source_unavailable. PPSR asset checks are currently unavailable. Documented hosts: Claude Desktop, Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Cursor, Cline, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, and direct HTTP. Other agents can connect where their runtime supports MCP.
• REST API: the canonical surface for custom agents. Live ABN/GST calls require approved account access; snapshot-backed checks additionally require their complete, trusted source snapshot and return source_unavailable while it is missing. PPSR contracts are documented, but preview and paid search are currently unavailable and account access does not unlock them.
• CLI: a command-line interface for scripted workflows, testing, and local development. It mirrors canonical operations but preserves each tool's documented response shape; it does not turn every result into an Evidence Pack.

What the Connector does not expose

Live ABR/GST calls and checks backed by a loaded, complete, trusted snapshot do not mutate official registers. Missing snapshots return source_unavailable. Other Connector tools can create Hoist-side sample exports, decision records, or revoke access. Entity and asset monitoring is unavailable. PPSR preview and paid search are currently unavailable, so the Connector returns no current PPSR result or certificate. Tool response shapes vary; not every tool returns an Evidence Pack.

Why agents need this

AI agents need a consistent, authenticated, scoped interface to register data. Calling AFSA or ABR directly from an agent session is impractical: the endpoints require different authentication schemes and return different formats. The Hoist Connector gives the agent a single, predictable access surface with OAuth-scoped access, tool-specific structured responses, and explicit scope boundaries. For example, verify_counterparty returns an Evidence Card plus a pack_id; the identifier does not prove a persisted or exported pack.

The Connector is model-agnostic. It is not built for any single AI provider. Any agent runtime that supports MCP, HTTP, or a CLI subprocess can connect.

How Hoist uses this

The MCP server at https://mcp.hoistai.com/mcp is the agent-facing surface. The REST API and CLI use the same account model for live ABN/GST calls and checks backed by a loaded, complete, trusted snapshot; missing snapshots return source_unavailable. PPSR preview and paid search are currently unavailable, preview fails closed without a price or register dispatch, and no credential, scope, account, or plan unlocks them. Install guides for each supported host are at /docs/mcp.

What Hoist does not infer

The Connector does not know which AI model or provider is calling it. It does not store conversation context from your agent session. It does not infer intent from unstructured text; tools are called explicitly with structured inputs. If your agent runtime does not support MCP natively, you can use the REST API directly.

Related terms

• Evidence Pack: a separate owner-bound prelaunch sample export with fixture or unsearched rows, not the universal Connector response.
• AI agent: the agent runtime that calls the Hoist Connector.
• MCP: the open protocol the Hoist MCP server implements.
• Source check: an individual verification step the Connector runs against a live source or a complete trusted snapshot.
• PPSR: a documented future source contract; Hoist preview and paid search are currently unavailable.
• ABN: business identifier the Connector verifies against the ABR.
• B2G Account: an AFSA authorisation framework that does not make Hoist PPSR calls currently available.