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Trust signals for AI agents: an open agent-readiness standard and developer tool guide. Read-only.

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Status
Healthy
Uptime
100.0% over 63 days
Last Tested
Transport
Streamable HTTP · MCP 2025-11-25
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TDQS

A4.7/5.0

Scored across 5 tools

Disambiguation5/5

Each tool has a crisp, non-overlapping role: search_tools discovers, get_tool retrieves one entry, compare_tools contrasts 2-3, list_categories enumerates categories, get_docs serves API/reference docs. The descriptions explicitly describe the intended workflow (search → get/compare), so an agent can route without guessing.

Naming Consistency5/5

All five tools share a uniform zaira_ prefix and a consistent verb_noun snake_case pattern (compare_tools, get_docs, get_tool, list_categories, search_tools). The singular get_tool vs plural collection verbs is idiomatic and not confusing.

Tool Count5/5

Five tools is well-scoped for a tool-discovery/reference service: one discover, one read, one compare, one enumerate, one docs lookup. No redundant or filler tools, and no obvious missing primitive.

Completeness4/5

The surface covers discovery, single-item detail, comparison, category enumeration, and on-demand docs—enough for the full decision lifecycle. Minor gaps remain, such as a direct 'list all tools' or browse-by-vendor/relationship traversal endpoint, though search largely compensates.

Available Tools

5 tools
zaira_compare_toolsA
Read-onlyIdempotent
Inspect

Compare 2-3 developer tools or programming languages side by side. Returns each entry's full Markdown-KV block separated by "===". Alternatives and worksWith are enriched with tagline + agent-readiness for resolved slugs. If any requested slugs are not found, they appear in a trailing "Note: slugs not found: ..." line; the comparison still returns for the ones found.

Examples:

  • Three search engines: {slugs: ["meilisearch-oss", "algolia", "elasticsearch-oss"]}

  • Two ORMs: {slugs: ["drizzle-orm", "prisma"]}

  • Three auth providers: {slugs: ["auth0", "clerk", "keycloak"]}

  • Hosted vs self-hosted for the same vendor: {slugs: ["redis-cloud", "redis-oss"]} — shows deployment trade-off

  • Postgres engine vs hosted offerings: {slugs: ["postgresql", "supabase-cloud", "cockroachdb-cloud"]}

  • Two languages for a CLI: {slugs: ["go", "rust"]}

Edge cases:

  • Cross-category comparisons (e.g., {slugs: ["auth0", "redis-cloud"]}) are allowed but rarely useful. Same-category comparisons answer "which should I pick?" better; cross-category answers "these coexist in my stack" — a compatibility question.

  • Minimum 2 slugs, maximum 3. Four or more is a validation error; for more, run pairs.

  • Invalid or unknown slugs are listed under "slugs not found"; the partial comparison returns for valid ones.

  • Duplicate slugs in the array are deduplicated.

  • A few tools are single entries (no -cloud/-oss split): stripe, auth0, firebase, twilio, openai, pinecone, algolia. Don't pass "stripe-cloud" — it doesn't exist.

Risk: read-only, closed-world, idempotent — no state change possible.

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
slugsYesArray of 2-3 tool slugs to compare. Example: ["supabase", "firebase"]

TDQS

A4.4/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

Substantial disclosure exists beyond annotations: output framing (Markdown-KV blocks joined by "==="), enrichment of Alternatives/worksWith with tagline + agent-readiness, partial-success semantics with a trailing "slugs not found" note, and duplicate deduplication. The closing "Risk: read-only, closed-world, idempotent" line merely restates the annotations and earns no credit, but the return-behavior detail more than compensates.

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?

Purpose is front-loaded and the Examples/Edge cases/Risk sections are clearly delineated. Six worked examples plus a risk line that duplicates the annotations is slightly more than the tool needs, but each example demonstrates a distinct comparison pattern (same-category, hosted-vs-self-hosted, vendor triple, language pair).

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?

With no output schema, the description carries the full burden of explaining returns, and it does: block format, separator, field enrichment, and partial-failure behavior. Combined with the slug-format caveats, an agent has everything needed to call it correctly and interpret the result.

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 coverage is 100% and the schema already enforces the 2-3 range and slug pattern, so baseline is 3. The description adds real value on top: deduplication behavior, invalid-slug handling, and a concrete trap (single-entry products like stripe/auth0 must not be passed as "stripe-cloud").

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

Purpose5/5

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

The first sentence gives a precise verb ("Compare"), the exact cardinality (2-3), and the resource (developer tools or programming languages), then states the return shape. This implicitly and cleanly separates it from the singular sibling zaira_get_tool. An agent can route correctly without opening either schema.

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

Usage context is unusually rich: same-category vs cross-category comparisons are distinguished with the question each answers, and the 3-slug ceiling comes with the workaround ("run pairs"). It does not, however, name any sibling tool (e.g., use zaira_get_tool for a single entry), so routing within the family 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.

zaira_get_docsA
Read-onlyIdempotent
Inspect

Retrieve reference documentation for the Zaira Guide API and MCP server on demand.

Topics:

  • getting_started — how to connect via MCP or REST, first queries

  • endpoints — full REST endpoint reference with parameters

  • mcp_tools — MCP tool reference with when-to-use guidance and a routing matrix

  • schema — the tool entry schema

  • errors — error taxonomy for REST (RFC 9457) and MCP (JSON-RPC)

Call with no topic to get an index of available topics.

Returns: the requested topic as a Markdown-KV block. With no topic, returns an index listing all available topics with short descriptions; call again with the relevant topic for the full content.

Examples (topic selection):

  • "How do I call the REST API?" → {topic: "getting_started"}

  • "What parameters does /tools accept?" → {topic: "endpoints"}

  • "What fields are in a tool entry?" → {topic: "schema"}

  • "What error shapes do I handle, and what are the recovery steps?" → {topic: "errors"}

  • "Which MCP tool fits my task?" → {topic: "mcp_tools"}

Edge cases:

  • No topic argument is valid — you get the index. This is the deferred-loading path; don't load every topic at once.

  • Topic must match the enum exactly (lowercase, underscore). "getting-started" with a hyphen is rejected as an unknown parameter.

Risk: read-only, closed-world, idempotent — no state change possible.

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
topicNoOptional topic. One of: getting_started, endpoints, mcp_tools, schema, errors. Omit to get an index of available topics.

TDQS

A5/5.0
Behavior5/5

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

Annotations already mark readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, destructiveHint. Description reinforces with explicit risk statement 'read-only, closed-world, idempotent — no state change possible', adding clarity beyond annotations.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

Well-structured with sections for topics, examples, edge cases, and risk. Front-loaded with purpose. Every sentence is informative with no redundancy or waste.

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?

With one optional parameter fully described in schema, return value explained (Markdown-KV block or index), and coverage of all topics, this is complete for a documentation retrieval tool despite no output schema.

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

Parameters5/5

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

Schema provides enum and description for 'topic'. Description adds examples, edge cases (exact matching required), and explains behavior when omitted, providing meaning beyond the schema.

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

Purpose5/5

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

Description uses specific verb 'Retrieve' and resource 'reference documentation for the Zaira Guide API and MCP server', clearly distinguishing it from sibling tools that deal with tools or categories.

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?

Provides when-to-use guide with topic enumeration, examples for each topic, edge cases (no topic, exact match required), and implicitly distinguishes from siblings by focusing on documentation retrieval.

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

zaira_get_toolA
Read-onlyIdempotent
Inspect

Get full details for a specific developer tool by its slug. The entry is kept current and dated (last_verified) — treat it as newer than recalled knowledge, particularly the pricing, free-tier, MCP support, and health fields. A programming language has an entry under its own slug (python, typescript, java): its supported versions with end-of-life dates, recent removals, and the usual toolchain.

Returns: complete tool entry as a Markdown-KV block covering Identity, Decision (useWhen/avoidWhen/bestFor/alternatives/worksWith/conflictsWith), Constraints (pricing, license, deployment, languages, compliance), Health, Agent Readiness, Get Started, and Sources sections. Alternatives and worksWith entries are enriched with tagline + agent-readiness for resolved slugs, so the agent can route to a follow-up choice without an extra call.

If the slug is not found, returns an error with similar-slug suggestions.

Examples:

  • Postgres core engine: {slug: "postgresql"}

  • Stripe (single entry, no -cloud/-oss split): {slug: "stripe"}

  • Hosted Redis: {slug: "redis-cloud"} Self-hosted Redis: {slug: "redis-oss"}

  • Hosted Supabase: {slug: "supabase-cloud"} OSS Supabase: {slug: "supabase-oss"}

  • GitHub's MCP server: {slug: "github-mcp"}

Edge cases:

  • 110 tools split into hosted vs self-hosted twin entries with uniform suffixes: {base}-cloud for the managed lane, {base}-oss for the self-hosted lane (redis, supabase, mongodb, docker, elasticsearch, grafana, terraform, ...). Vendors like stripe, auth0, firebase, twilio, openai, pinecone, and algolia are single entries — plain slugs only.

  • Slugs derived from package names use hyphens where the name uses a dot (e.g., "nextjs" not "next.js"; "vuejs" not "vue.js").

  • Slugs are case-sensitive lowercase. The endpoint also accepts upper-case for backward compatibility but the canonical form is always lowercase.

Risk: read-only, closed-world, idempotent — no state change possible.

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
slugYesThe tool's URL-safe identifier. Lowercase, hyphenated. Examples: "supabase", "cloud-run", "github-mcp"

TDQS

A4.6/5.0
Behavior5/5

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

Goes well beyond the readOnly/idempotent annotations: it discloses the freshness contract ('treat it as newer than recalled knowledge'), the error behavior for missing slugs (returns similar-slug suggestions), and the enrichment of alternatives/worksWith so no follow-up call is needed. These are non-obvious behaviors an agent could not infer from structured fields.

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?

Purpose is front-loaded and the examples/edge-cases are grouped logically, so nothing is buried. It is long for a single-parameter tool, and the trailing 'Risk:' line merely restates the annotations, which is minor waste.

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?

With no output schema, the description fully covers the return shape (the Markdown-KV sections), the error path, and the freshness semantics. Nothing an agent needs to invoke this 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 coverage is 100% and the pattern already documents the lowercase-hyphenated form, so the baseline is 3. The description adds real meaning beyond the schema by explaining the -cloud/-oss twin convention, the dot-to-hyphen transformation (nextjs not next.js), and the vendor-vs-split-entry rule, all of which directly affect which slug to pass.

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

Purpose5/5

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

Opens with a specific verb+resource ('Get full details for a specific developer tool by its slug') and immediately distinguishes its scope from siblings like search_tools and compare_tools. An agent knows exactly what it retrieves without opening the schema.

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

Provides rich context on when the tool is useful (freshness of pricing/health data, language entries, routing to alternatives) and exhaustive slug-convention edge cases. However it never explicitly names when to reach for zaira_search_tools first to discover a slug, nor states when-not-to-use it, so it stops short of full routing guidance.

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

zaira_list_categoriesA
Read-onlyIdempotent
Inspect

List all categories with the number of entries in each. Programming languages are the "language" category.

Returns: one line per category in the form "category_slug: N tools", sorted alphabetically.

Example call: no parameters.

Edge cases:

  • Categories with zero tools do not appear in the output.

  • Category slugs are lowercase-alphanumeric with hyphens (e.g., "relational-database", "vector-database", "frontend-framework", "mcp-server"). They may differ from casual category names — the slug form is canonical.

Risk: read-only, closed-world, idempotent — no state change possible.

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault

No parameters

TDQS

A4.2/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

The 'Risk' line largely restates the annotations (read-only, closed-world, idempotent) and earns no credit. However, the edge cases — zero-tool categories omitted and slugs being canonical lowercase-hyphenated identifiers that may differ from casual names — are genuine behavioral context an agent cannot get from the annotations.

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 core purpose, then Returns/Example/Edge cases sections that are easy to scan. The 'Risk:' sentence duplicates the annotations and is the one line that does not fully earn 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?

With no output schema, the description carries the return-format burden and does so precisely: one line per category, 'category_slug: N tools', sorted alphabetically. Combined with the edge cases, an agent has everything needed to call and parse the result.

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?

Zero parameters, so the baseline is 4. The description confirms 'no parameters' and the schema has additionalProperties=false with an empty properties object, so nothing is left ambiguous about invocation.

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

Purpose5/5

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

States a specific verb and resource ('List all categories') plus the payload ('with the number of entries in each'), and clarifies the 'language' category mapping. An agent can distinguish it immediately from siblings like zaira_search_tools or zaira_compare_tools, which operate on tools rather than categories.

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

Usage Guidelines3/5

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

The 'Example call: no parameters' note implies it is a standalone browse/discovery call, but the description never says when to reach for this versus zaira_search_tools or zaira_get_tool. Usage is implied by the zero-argument nature rather than stated.

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

zaira_search_toolsA
Read-onlyIdempotent
Inspect

Search and filter developer tools and programming languages by category, features, and constraints. Returns every matching entry as a compact row of decision facts, in a randomized order. Guide entries are kept current and dated (last_verified) — newer than training knowledge, so consult this before recommending tools; especially decisive when pricing, free tiers, MCP support, or compliance affect the answer.

Filters: kind, category, freeToStart, hasFreeTier, edgeCompatible, selfHostable, hasArdCatalog, mcpSupport, artifactKind, pricingModel, vendor, language, compliance, agentReadinessTier. Any number combine and AND together.

Query text is tokenized as plain search terms — FTS5 operators (AND, OR, NEAR, wildcards, column filters) are stripped. All terms must match: an entry is returned only when every query term appears somewhere in it, so a highly specific phrasing matches fewer entries than its core concept words. Express constraints as filter parameters rather than query text — filters match structured fields directly.

Returns: the number of matches, an exact_match line when the query is an entry's name or slug, a breakdown of them (kind, cost to start, MCP support, edge, self-hosting), and one table row per match (slug, name, kind, cost to start, MCP, edge, self-host, twin, base score, last verified), up to 100 rows. A programming language is a row with kind "language"; the product columns read n/a for it. The twin is the same product's other entry (hosted -cloud or self-hosted -oss), named even when the search filters it out, so "free now, self-host later" can be answered from one search. Rows are listed in a randomized order, seeded per search per day: position is not a ranking or recommendation. Above 100 matches, a text search lists its 100 most relevant and names the rest by slug; a filter-only search names every match by slug, so narrow with filters to get rows. Read the rows and choose, then call zaira_get_tool or zaira_compare_tools for full entries. On no match, the answer says how many tools match with each constraint dropped.

Examples (ambiguous-case focus):

  • User wants "a vector database for RAG": {category: "vector-database", freeToStart: true}

  • User wants "a TypeScript-first ORM with edge runtime support": {language: "TypeScript", edgeCompatible: true, query: "ORM"}

  • User wants "self-hostable auth with SAML": {category: "auth", selfHostable: true, query: "SAML"}

  • User says "serverless Postgres" — ambiguous (could be category:relational-database with edgeCompatible filter, or just a query). Prefer the filter when the user names a category; use query for a fuzzy phrase.

  • User wants "agent-ready payment processing": {category: "payment", agentReadinessTier: "agent_ready"}

  • User asks "which Go versions are still supported?" or wants every language: {query: "go"} finds the Go entry (exact_match); {kind: "language"} lists every programming language

Edge cases:

  • 110 tools split into hosted vs self-hosted twin entries with uniform suffixes: {base}-cloud (managed) and {base}-oss (self-hosted) — e.g. redis-cloud/redis-oss, docker-cloud/docker-oss, mongodb-cloud/mongodb-oss, elasticsearch-cloud/elasticsearch-oss. Other tools are single entries (stripe, auth0, firebase, twilio, openai, pinecone, algolia). Filter by selfHostable or artifactKind to land on the right variant.

  • "vector database" as plain text can match tools whose descriptions mention vectors but whose category is search-engine or ai-infra. Use the category filter when the user wants a strict match.

  • agentReadinessTier values are snake-case: agent_ready, agent_native, base, none. Display labels (Agent Ready) will not match. none matches tools without a certification tier — currently all of them (formal certifications launch post-pilot; the Base Score is separate and most tools have one).

  • artifactKind has only two values: open_source and managed_service. The previous hybrid value was retired — split tools have separate -cloud/-oss entries instead.

  • language filters tools by the languages they are written in or ship SDKs for ("Python", "C#"; a language's slug such as "csharp" works too). To find the language itself, use kind: "language" or its name as the query.

  • "Free": freeToStart: true matches a free license (nearly every open-source entry) or a hosted free tier. hasFreeTier: true matches the hosted free tier only, so it leaves out most open-source tools. Open source is free to use, not free to run.

Risk: read-only, closed-world, idempotent — no state change possible.

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
kindNoFilter by kind of entry: "tool" (developer tools and services) or "language" (programming languages). Omit for every kind.
queryNoFree-text search across tool names, descriptions, and use cases. Example: "serverless database", "payment processing". Terms combine with AND — every term must match. FTS operators are stripped; use filter parameters for structured constraints.
vendorNoFilter by vendor name (partial match). Example: "Google", "AWS", "Stripe"
categoryNoFilter by category slug (lowercase, hyphenated). Example: "relational-database", "auth", "hosting", "language".
languageNoFilter tools by the language they are written in or ship an SDK for. Example: "TypeScript", "Python", "Go"; a language slug ("csharp") reads as its name
complianceNoFilter by compliance certification. Matching is space/dash/case-insensitive ("SOC2" matches "SOC 2 Type II"). Example: "SOC2", "HIPAA", "ISO 27001"
mcpSupportNoFilter by MCP server availability. `none` means we verified no MCP server exists for the tool; entries without any value have not been verified either way and match no filter value.
freeToStartNoSet to true to only return tools you can start using without paying: a free license (nearly every open-source tool) or a hosted free tier. Open source is free to use, not free to run.
hasFreeTierNoSet to true to only return tools with a hosted free tier (a free plan on a managed service). Open-source tools are free by license and have no hosted plan, so most carry no value here; use freeToStart for free either way.
artifactKindNoFilter by tool type. `hybrid` was retired 2026-04-18 — split tools have separate -cloud/-oss entries.
pricingModelNoFilter by pricing model. Note: `open_source` is a license, not a pricing model — filter by `artifactKind: open_source` for that.
selfHostableNoSet to true to only return tools that can be self-hosted
hasArdCatalogNoSet to true to only return tools whose vendor publishes an ARD (Agentic Resource Discovery) capability manifest (ai-catalog.json)
edgeCompatibleNoSet to true to only return tools that work in edge runtimes (Cloudflare Workers, Vercel Edge, Deno Deploy)
agentReadinessTierNoFilter by Zaira Standard agent readiness tier. Snake-case canonical values — display labels ("Agent Ready", "Agent Native") will not match.

TDQS

A4.8/5.0
Behavior5/5

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

Annotations already cover the safety profile (readOnly/closed-world/idempotent/non-destructive), so the bar is lower, yet the description adds substantial behavior: randomized ordering 'seeded per search per day: position is not a ranking,' the 100-row cap and what happens above it, the per-row breakdown, the twin-relation semantics, and the no-match answer. Nothing contradicts the annotations — the closing 'Risk' line is consistent with them.

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?

Well-structured with labeled blocks (Filters, Returns, Examples, Edge cases, Risk) and the purpose front-loaded. It is on the verbose side for a search tool, and the Filters enumeration and 'Free' note partially duplicate schema text, so it is a 4 rather than a model of tightness.

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?

With 15 parameters, no output schema, and many enums, the description carries the return-shape burden and does so thoroughly: match count, exact_match line, breakdown, row columns, 100-row truncation, filter-only vs text-search listing, no-match constraint-dropping, and worked ambiguous examples. An agent has everything needed to call and interpret it.

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 coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3, and the description does add genuine meaning beyond it: the 'twin' concept (hosted -cloud vs self-hosted -oss), the ticket that language rows read 'n/a' in product columns, and query tokenization/filter interaction. It does, however, restate a fair amount that the schema already documents (freeToStart vs hasFreeTier, snake-case agentReadinessTier, retired 'hybrid'), so it lands just above baseline rather than at the top.

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

Purpose5/5

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

Opens with a specific verb+resource+scope: 'Search and filter developer tools and programming languages by category, features, and constraints.' It also explicitly positions itself against siblings, telling the agent to read rows then 'call zaira_get_tool or zaira_compare_tools for full entries,' so an agent can distinguish a search/selection pass from a detail fetch.

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?

Gives explicit when-to-use ('consult this before recommending tools; especially decisive when pricing, free tiers, MCP support, or compliance affect the answer'), when to prefer filters over query ('Express constraints as filter parameters rather than query text'), and an ambiguous-case rule ('Prefer the filter when the user names a category; use query for a fuzzy phrase'). It also states the no-match behavior, closing the loop on failure handling.

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

Tool Schema Changelog

Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. 1 tool update
    • Changedzaira_search_tools3 fields changed
      • changedInput schema / properties / category / description
        Previous value: -"Filter by category slug (lowercase, hyphenated). Example: \"relational-database\", \"auth\", \"hosting\"."New value: +"Filter by category slug (lowercase, hyphenated). Example: \"relational-database\", \"auth\", \"hosting\", \"language\"."
      • addedInput schema / properties / kind
        Added value: +{
+  "description": "Filter by kind of entry: \"tool\" (developer tools and services) or \"language\" (programming languages). Omit for every kind.",
+  "enum": [
+    "tool",
+    "language"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
      • changedInput schema / properties / language / description
        Previous value: -"Filter by supported language or SDK language. Example: \"TypeScript\", \"Python\", \"Go\""New value: +"Filter tools by the language they are written in or ship an SDK for. Example: \"TypeScript\", \"Python\", \"Go\"; a language slug (\"csharp\") reads as its name"
  2. 1 tool update
    • Changedzaira_search_tools2 fields changed
      • addedInput schema / properties / freeToStart
        Added value: +{
+  "description": "Set to true to only return tools you can start using without paying: a free license (nearly every open-source tool) or a hosted free tier. Open source is free to use, not free to run.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}
      • changedInput schema / properties / hasFreeTier / description
        Previous value: -"Set to true to only return tools with a free tier"New value: +"Set to true to only return tools with a hosted free tier (a free plan on a managed service). Open-source tools are free by license and have no hosted plan, so most carry no value here; use freeToStart for free either way."
  3. 1 tool update
    • Changedzaira_search_tools1 field changed
      • changedInput schema / properties / mcpSupport / description
        Previous value: -"Filter by MCP server availability. Only entries with a verified MCP status carry this field — tools not yet checked match no value, including `none`."New value: +"Filter by MCP server availability. `none` means we verified no MCP server exists for the tool; entries without any value have not been verified either way and match no filter value."
  4. 1 tool update
    • Changedzaira_search_tools2 fields changed
      • changedInput schema / properties / mcpSupport / description
        Previous value: -"Filter by MCP server availability"New value: +"Filter by MCP server availability. Only entries with a verified MCP status carry this field — tools not yet checked match no value, including `none`."
      • changedInput schema / properties / query / description
        Previous value: -"Free-text search across tool names, descriptions, and use cases. Example: \"serverless database\", \"payment processing\". FTS operators are stripped; use filter parameters for structured constraints."New value: +"Free-text search across tool names, descriptions, and use cases. Example: \"serverless database\", \"payment processing\". Terms combine with AND — every term must match. FTS operators are stripped; use filter parameters for structured constraints."
  5. 5 tool updates
    • First observedzaira_compare_tools
    • First observedzaira_get_docs
    • First observedzaira_get_tool
    • First observedzaira_list_categories
    • First observedzaira_search_tools

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