# Preview sample records

> preview_records: Returns up to 25 masked sample rows (10 by default) for an audience or a count id, each with verification badges, why it matches and a provenance card.

Source: https://emailmovers.com/mydatahub/docs/reference/mcp/preview_records

Returns up to 25 masked sample rows (10 by default) for an audience or a count id, each with verification badges, why it matches and a provenance card. Use it after count_audience to show the user what the records look like before quoting. Free: emails and phones are masked on the server, a repeat returns the same rows, and no rows come back when the count is under 25. Call quote_order next to price the records. Lawful basis is UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f) legitimate interests; email audiences include corporate subscribers only by default (PECR), so sole traders and ordinary partnerships are left out unless the toggle is changed.

| Property | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tool name | `preview_records` |
| Position in tools/list | 9 of 22 |
| Cost | Free |
| Scope | None. Works without an account. |
| Annotations | readOnlyHint true, destructiveHint false, idempotentHint true, openWorldHint false |
| Kind | Read only; idempotent, not destructive, closed world |
| REST equivalent | [`POST /v1/previews`](https://emailmovers.com/mydatahub/docs/reference/rest/create-preview.md) |

> **Not yet live.** MyDataHub v2 is built and tested locally and is not yet live. The v2 hosts open at launch, date to confirm. This is what `tools/list` returns from https://mydatahub.emailmovers.com/mcp once v2 launches.

## Input

The schema sets `additionalProperties` to false, so a member that is not listed is refused.

| Member | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `audience` | string or `Audience` | no | An audience definition (mydatahub.audience/1) inline, or the aud_ id of a saved audience. |
| `count_id` | string | no | A count id instead of an audience. |
| `limit` | integer (1 to 25) | no | Rows to return, 1 to 25. Default 10. Default `10`. |
| `shuffle` | boolean | no | Draw a new seed. Counts against your rate budget and is logged. Default false, so a repeat returns the same rows. Default `false`. |

## Example call

The `params` of a `tools/call` request:

```json
{
  "name": "preview_records",
  "arguments": {
    "count_id": "cnt_7K2PQ4MAXN3R6TBY5WDZ",
    "limit": 10
  }
}
```

## Output

The result carries `structuredContent` that matches this schema, and one line of text that leads with the number.

| Member | Type | Always present | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `id` | string | yes | Format: a preview id: prv_ followed by a 26 character ULID in upper case Crockford base32, such as prv_01JB4H3M7Q2V7XN3M9R6T1Y5W8. |
| `count_id` | string | yes | Format: a count id: cnt_ followed by 20 base32 characters (A to Z and 2 to 7), such as cnt_7K2PQ4MAXN3R6TBY5WDZ. |
| `dataset_version` | string | yes | The immutable weekly build a count is bound to, such as 2026-W39. The last 52 stay queryable. |
| `seed` | string | yes | The seed the rows came from; the same audience gives the same seed. |
| `count` | integer (0 or more) | yes | The count the rows were drawn from, rounded as disclosure says. |
| `disclosure` | `Disclosure` | yes | Whether these numbers are exact or protected: "under 10" cells, rounding to 5 and secondary suppression for anonymous and trial callers. |
| `disclosure.level` | enum: `exact`, `rounded` | yes | exact for authenticated paid callers; rounded for anonymous and trial callers, whose counts under 100 and every cell are rounded to the nearest 5. |
| `disclosure.rounded_to` | integer or null | yes | 5 when numbers are rounded; null when they are exact. |
| `disclosure.secondary_suppression` | boolean | yes | True when cross-tab or breakdown cells of 10 or more were hidden as "suppressed" so totals cannot be differenced. |
| `disclosure.notes` | array of string | yes |  |
| `rows` | array of `PreviewRow` | yes |  |
| `rows[].id` | string | yes | A session-scoped id standing in for the record. It never reveals contact_ ids. |
| `rows[].title` | string | yes |  |
| `rows[].job_level` | string or null | yes | The level, such as Director; null when the level is not known. |
| `rows[].job_function` | string or null | yes |  |
| `rows[].company` | object | yes |  |
| `rows[].site` | object | yes |  |
| `rows[].email_masked` | string or null | yes | First character of the local part plus the top level domain, such as j••••@••••.co.uk. |
| `rows[].email_type` | enum: `named`, `generic_local_part`, `generic_domain` or null | yes |  |
| `rows[].phone_masked` | string or null | yes | To the area code, such as 0113 ••• •••1. |
| `rows[].tps_ctps_status` | enum: `clear`, `tps_registered`, `ctps_registered`, `tps_or_ctps_registered`, `not_screened` or null | yes |  |
| `rows[].badges` | array of `VerifiedBadge` or `OtherBadge` | yes |  |
| `rows[].why_it_matches` | array of `WhyItMatches` | yes |  |
| `rows[].provenance` | `ProvenanceCard` | yes | The ICO due diligence answers for one record, as shown on the sample row. |
| `rows[].compliance` | `ComplianceObject` | yes | Carried by every preview row, order record, lookup and enrichment, and repeated as CSV columns and as the MyDataHub property group on CRM push. |
| `withheld` | object or null | yes | Rows held back: all of them when the count is under 25, or rows whose title fewer than 10 people hold. |
| `withheld.rows` | integer (0 or more) | yes |  |
| `withheld.reason` | string | yes |  |
| `masked` | `true` | yes |  |
| `watermark` | string or null | yes | The account id watermarked into sample CSVs; null when signed out. |
| `created_at` | string (date-time) | yes |  |

## Errors

A failed call returns `isError` true. The text content leads with the sentence a person acts on, then the whole problem as JSON, with `code`, `detail`, `next_step` and `did_you_mean`. A 401 and a step-up 403 are answered at HTTP level so the client can start authorisation. See [Errors](https://emailmovers.com/mydatahub/docs/errors.md).