Checking if host/ip exists before creating new one using API

[zabbixfk]

Hello All,
I couldn't find anything related to hosts.exists or something similar on zabbix 3.0 api.
I am trying to automate something like creating new hosts ( adding ) - just wanted to check if hosts exists before adding - so that duplicates doesn't happen - i have had the cases where two ip's are added in the past.
Any pointers are greatly helpful. Below is the sample code i am trying - doing things using PHP , and then calling curl for the url.

#check is ip is matching
$h_request = array(
    'jsonrpc' => '2.0',
    'method' => 'host.get',
    'params' => array(
        'search' => array(
            'ip' => '172.17.70.1',
        ),
    ),
    'auth' => $auth,
);
#Get this host name matching atleast
$h_request = array(
    'jsonrpc' => '2.0',
    'method' => 'host.get',
    'params' => array(
        'search' => array(
            'host' => 'server',
        ),
    ),
    'auth' => $auth,
);
#Get this host name matching atleast using filter
$h_request = array(
    'jsonrpc' => '2.0',
    'method' => 'host.get',
    'params' => array(
        'filter' => array(
            'host' => 'server',
        ),
    ),
    'auth' => $auth,
);

Thanks

[zabbixfk]

*bump* - can someone reply please. Is this the correct place to post ?

Thanks

[zabbixfk]

* Closing this thread *
- Figured out, i had missed

id=>1

on the requests.

Thanks.