Find a food pantry near a US location (ZIP or City, ST) from ~17,000 pantries. Free.
Scored across 1 tool
With only one tool, there is no possibility of confusing it with another. The tool's purpose is entirely clear and unambiguous.
The single tool uses a clear verb_noun pattern (find_food_pantry), and with no other tools there are no mixed conventions.
One tool is slightly below the typical 3-15 range, but it directly serves the server's narrow purpose of locating food pantries, so the count is still reasonable.
The tool fully addresses the stated domain of finding nearby food pantries by returning address, phone, website, and distance. The lack of live hours is transparently noted rather than a missing operation.
Find nearby food pantries for someone who needs food. Give a location — a US ZIP code, "City, ST", or "lat,lng" — and it returns the closest pantries with address, phone, website and distance, from a directory of ~17,000 US food pantries. Use it when someone asks where to get free food or find a food pantry. Free, no signup. Call the pantry to confirm hours and eligibility before visiting — this tool does not have live hours.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| limit | No | How many pantries to return (default 5, max 15). | |
| location | Yes | US ZIP code, "City, ST", or "lat,lng". |
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already establish this as read-only, idempotent, and non-destructive. The description goes beyond this safety profile by disclosing the ~17,000-entry dataset, the absence of live hours, the instruction to call the pantry, and that it is free with no signup. This is useful context, though it does not address potential errors or rate limits.
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?
Three sentences front-load the purpose, then compactly cover input formats, output details, usage context, and the live-hours caveat. There is no filler and every sentence contributes to helping the agent decide and invoke the tool.
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?
With no output schema, the description compensates by listing return fields (address, phone, website, distance) and input formats, plus the data source size and a key limitation. For a two-parameter tool with full schema coverage and no siblings, nothing essential is missing.
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 100%, with both 'location' and 'limit' documented including examples, defaults, and max. The description repeats the location formats but adds little beyond what the schema already provides, so the baseline of 3 applies.
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 opens with 'Find nearby food pantries' and enumerates exactly what the tool returns: closest pantries with address, phone, website, and distance. Even with no siblings, the verb+resource+scope is specific and distinguishes the tool's directory of ~17,000 US food pantries.
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?
It explicitly states 'Use it when someone asks where to get free food or find a food pantry', which is clear use-case guidance. There are no sibling tools or alternatives, so exclusions are not needed; the absence of a 'when not to use' is not a meaningful gap here.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
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