> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.cmnpd.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.cmnpd.org/frequently-asked-questions/general-questions.md).

# General Questions

## How often do you update the data?

Certified compound record data is updated annually, but biological activity data is updated regularly, with releases approximately every 3-4 months.

## What is the CMNPD ID?

The CMNPD ID is a unique ID that has been assigned to compounds, organisms, targets and documents in CMNPD. It can be used to retrieve a Report Card page for these entities, or to search for them using the keyword search.

## What's the difference between CMNPD document library and MarinLit?

[MarinLit](http://pubs.rsc.org/marinlit/) contains comprehensive literature on marine natural products, including new and revised compounds, synthesis, ecology and biological activities. CMNPD collects documents in any field as long as it contains the chemical structure of marine natural products.

##


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.cmnpd.org/frequently-asked-questions/general-questions.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.