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Banking Assistant (Metabind demo)

Spending Breakdown

spending_breakdown
Read-onlyIdempotent

Render spending_breakdown: Spending split by category for a period: a composition bar plus a ranked category list. It loads its own data — pass the period alone for the whole picture, which is what a broad 'where did my money go' question wants. Use highlight only on a follow-up about particular categories; it dims everything else, so on an opening question it hides most of the answer.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
noteNoUsually omit this. Optional one-line insight rendered inside the card. Only pass it when you ALREADY have the figures in hand from a call you made for another reason — never make an extra tool call just to write a note, because that round trip delays the card itself. When you do add one, say something the card does not already show (what drove a change, what to watch), in one sentence, and never guess a number.
periodNoWindow: 7d, 30d, mtd (this month so far), lastMonth (the whole previous calendar month), 3mo, 6mo, ytd, 1y or all.mtd
highlightNoOMIT THIS unless the user asked about specific categories. Leaving it empty is the normal, correct view: the whole picture, nothing dimmed. A broad opening question — 'where did my money go', 'show me my spending', 'how did I do this month' — wants the whole picture, so pass period alone. Only emphasise on a FOLLOW-UP that is genuinely about particular categories ('what should I cut', 'is dining out of hand', 'why is it higher than last month'), where you name them: ['Food & Dining','Subscriptions']. Everything else then dims and the hero reports their combined total. Matching is forgiving ('dining' finds 'Food & Dining').
nextStepsNoOne short follow-up the user might ask next, in the form icon|question — 'calendar|Show me last month'. Phrase the question the way the user would say it, and take the icon from the table in the app instructions; any other name renders blank. Always supply 2-3. The card itself ignores them.
drillPromptNoWhat tapping a category should ask, when the question had an angle worth carrying. Write it as the user would say it and put {category} where the name goes: 'Show me the odd {category} transactions', 'Where can I cut back on {category}?'. Set it when the card answers something pointed — unusual spending, what to cut, why something moved — so the follow-up inherits that instead of resetting to a plain list. Omit it for a broad 'where did my money go', where a plain list is what a tap should give.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed1 schema field changed
    • addedInput schema / required
      Added value: +[]
  2. First observed

TDQS

A4.5/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already cover the safety profile (readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive), so the bar is lower. The description still adds genuinely non-obvious behavior: the card 'loads its own data', passing highlight dims everything else, matching of category names is forgiving, and the card ignores nextSteps. This is real context an agent cannot get from the schema.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the card's purpose, then the usage rule, then the highlight caveat. Roughly three dense sentences with no filler. Slightly heavy in the middle sentence (a long appositive clause), but every clause earns its place.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

No output schema exists, but the description explains what the card renders (composition bar plus ranked list) and how its interactive parts behave, which is what an agent needs. Combined with full schema coverage and annotations, nothing required to call it correctly is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100% and the parameter descriptions are themselves rich, so the baseline is 3. The tool description reinforces and prioritizes the highest-stakes semantic — that highlight solves a different question than the default period-only call — adding a small amount of meaning on top of the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

It states a concrete verb-plus-resource: render a spending breakdown card made of 'a composition bar plus a ranked category list' for a period. That is specific and far better than restating the title. It does not, however, distinguish itself from the sibling get_spending_breakdown, which an agent could plausibly confuse with this rendering tool.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicit when-to-use guidance: pass period alone for a broad opening question, use highlight only on a follow-up about specific categories. It also names the failure mode (highlight dims the rest and hides the answer on an opening question) and even routes the note/drillPrompt behavior. Nothing is left to inference.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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