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

# Conventions

> How Private Clubs writes places, types, waitlist values and links, and how to cite it

These rules apply to both the Private Clubs MCP server and the API. Follow them when you send filters and when you show results.

## Places

States, provinces and countries are written as full names, such as `Florida`, `Ontario` and `United States`. Two-letter state codes such as `FL` also resolve, in the API and in the MCP tools. Full names are the safer choice.

In the API, `country` also takes an ISO code such as `GB`. A `state` with no `country` stays in the US and Canada, so send `country` too for a region elsewhere.

In the MCP tools, `state` covers US states and Canadian provinces only. In `search_clubs`, a `query` with a place after a comma, such as `Naples, FL` or `Sydney, Australia`, keeps the search to that state or country. See [place names](/mcp/tools#place-names).

## Types

Types are lower case snake\_case, such as `golf`, `yacht` and `country_club`. See [Club types](/reference/club-types) for the 15 current types and how the API groups them.

## Waitlist values

`waitlist_status` holds one of these values:

| Value | Meaning |
| - | - |
| `open` | The club is listed as open to new members. |
| `waitlist` | The club is listed with a waitlist. |
| `by_invitation` | Membership is by invitation. |
| `invite_only` | Membership is by invitation, the same as `by_invitation`. |
| `closed` | The club is listed as not accepting new members. |
| `unknown` | Not known. |

The field can also be `null`, which also means not known. In the API, `waitlist=by_invitation` matches both `by_invitation` and `invite_only`. In the MCP tools, `waitlist: true` keeps `open` clubs only.

Waitlist status can change. Point people to the club's profile before they act on it.

## Profile links

MCP results carry a `url` for each club's profile, in this form:

```text theme={"system"}
https://www.theprivateclubs.com/clubs/{region}/{slug}
```

The region is the state or province for the US and Canada, and the country elsewhere. `url` is `null` when a club has no region. Use the `url` the tool returns. API rows carry no profile link.

## Fees

Never state, estimate or imply a club's fees. Private Clubs never returns membership fees over MCP, and API calls from your server or script return none. Account holders see fees on each club's profile at theprivateclubs.com.

## Missing values

`null` means the value is not known. Leave the field out of what you show, or point people to the club's profile. Never invent a value.

## Attribution

Cite Private Clubs (theprivateclubs.com) and link the club's profile. See the [data license](https://www.theprivateclubs.com/data/license) for commercial use.

A citation can follow this pattern, from the data license:

```text theme={"system"}
Data from Private Clubs (theprivateclubs.com) shows...
```

The data license gives the exact attribution formats.

Next: [Club object](/reference/club-object) and [Discovery files](/reference/discovery-files).


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