pause_studyPause a study while preserving its panel survey, target cycle, progress, and reward hold.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| study_id | Yes | ||
| organization_id | No | Organization for this operation and billing. Use list_organizations to choose an active membership. |
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| result | Yes | The paused study. |
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Input schema / properties / organization_id / descriptionPrevious value: -"Platform admins only: select an organization for this operation. Required when changing another organization’s study or using its wallet."New value: +"Organization for this operation and billing. Use list_organizations to choose an active membership."Input schema / properties / organization_idAdded value: +{
+ "description": "Platform admins only: select an organization for this operation. Required when changing another organization’s study or using its wallet.",
+ "maxLength": 128,
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+}Input schema / $schemaPrevious value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"Input schema / additionalPropertiesRemoved value: -falseInput schema / properties / study_id / patternAdded value: +"^([0-9a-fA-F]{8}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-[1-8][0-9a-fA-F]{3}-[89abAB][0-9a-fA-F]{3}-[0-9a-fA-F]{12}|00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000|ffffffff-ffff-ffff-ffff-ffffffffffff)$"Output schema / $schemaPrevious value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"Output schema / properties / result / additionalPropertiesPrevious value: -trueNew value: +{}Output schema / properties / result / properties / dashboard_url / $refRemoved value: -"#/properties/result/properties/name"Output schema / properties / result / properties / dashboard_url / typeAdded value: +[
+ "string",
+ "null"
+]Output schema / properties / result / properties / study_link / $refRemoved value: -"#/properties/result/properties/name"Output schema / properties / result / properties / study_link / typeAdded value: +[
+ "string",
+ "null"
+]Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare not-read-only, not destructive, idempotent and open-world, so the safety profile is covered structurally. The description adds real context the annotations cannot convey: exactly what survives the pause (panel survey, target cycle, progress, reward hold). It stops short of describing the resulting study state or how resume_study re-activates it.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
A single front-loaded sentence with no filler; the preservation clause is the highest-value information and appears first. Nothing to trim.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Output schema and annotations cover the return shape and safety profile, so the remaining burden is the lifecycle story. The description covers what is preserved but omits the resulting state, whether in-flight participants/rewards are affected mid-flight, and the resume counterpart, leaving an agent with a partial picture of this mutation.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema description coverage is 50%: organization_id is documented in the schema (including the list_organizations hint), while study_id is undocumented but self-evident by name and uuid format. The description contributes nothing about either parameter, but with only one trivially-named undocumented parameter the schema carries most of the load.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description names a specific verb ('Pause') and resource ('study') plus the state it preserves (panel survey, target cycle, progress, reward hold), which goes beyond restating the title. However, it never distinguishes itself from the closely related sibling stop_study, which is the single most important disambiguation for an agent choosing between them.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
The word 'preserving' implies this is the non-terminal option versus stop_study or delete_study, but the description never states when to pause vs. stop, nor any prerequisite state (e.g. must the study be launched/running?). Usage is inferable rather than given.
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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