eCFR

get_cfr_content

Read-only

Get the full text of a CFR section, subpart, part, or appendix.

Returns parsed clean text by default: heading, paragraphs and citations, plus
tables, notes, examples, images, pending_amendments and editorial_notes
when present. Tables, notes and examples are numbered, and a marker like
"[See table 1: ...]" sits in the paragraphs where each appears. [fn N]
marks a footnote reference. pending_amendments means eCFR links a
published amendment that may not be in effect yet. A subpart, part or
appendix request returns one object per section under 'sections', each
with its own section number and heading. Set raw_xml=True to get the
original XML instead.

Answers longer than about 60,000 characters come in pages: the reply
says page and total_pages, and page=2 (and so on) returns the rest.

Specify the narrowest scope possible to keep responses manageable:
- section='15.305' for a single FAR section
- subpart='15.3' for a subpart
- part='15' for an entire part (can be large)
- chapter='1' for an entire chapter (often >1 MB, avoid)
- appendix='Appendix A to Chapter 2' (with chapter='2') for a DFARS appendix

Date auto-resolves to the latest available if not provided. Do NOT use
today's date directly -- eCFR lags 1-2 business days and today often 404s.

Title 48 = FAR/DFARS. Chapter 1 = FAR (Parts 1-99), Chapter 2 = DFARS
(Parts 200-299). Other chapters = agency FAR supplements (GSAR, VAAR,
HSAR, etc.).

For DFARS clauses, use chapter='2' (e.g., section='252.227-7014').

part/subpart/section accept int or string. Common prefix mistakes like
section='FAR 15.305' or '48 CFR 15.305' are stripped automatically, and
trailing paragraph cites like section='15.305(a)(2)' resolve to the base
section '15.305'.

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "get_cfr_content"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`date`	No
`page`	No
`part`	No
`chapter`	No
`raw_xml`	No
`section`	No
`subpart`	No
`appendix`	No
`title_number`	No

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedOct 21, 2026

TDQS

A5/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

Annotations cover only safety (readOnlyHint, destructiveHint, openWorldHint); the description goes far beyond by disclosing the return shape (heading, paragraphs, citations, tables, notes, images, pending_amendments, editorial_notes), marker conventions ('[See table 1: ...]', '[fn N]'), the pagination threshold (~60,000 chars) and how to fetch subsequent pages. That is exactly the behavioral context annotations cannot provide.

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?

Long but dense and front-loaded: the core action in sentence one, return semantics next, then a bulleted scope guide, then domain mapping and error-avoidance tips. Every section answers a distinct question an agent would otherwise have to guess at.

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?

Even though an output schema exists, the description explains response structure, paging, and multi-section responses ('one object per section under sections'), plus domain conventions (Title 48, Chapter 1 vs. 2, DFARS clauses) needed to call a 9-parameter tool with zero documented schema fields. Nothing material is missing.

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?

With 0% schema description coverage, the description carries the full burden and does so: it defines section, subpart, part, chapter, appendix, date, page, and raw_xml with concrete example values, explains prefix stripping ('FAR 15.305') and trailing cite normalization ('15.305(a)(2)' → '15.305'), and implicitly covers title_number via 'Title 48 = FAR/DFARS'. Only minor gap: title_number is never named as a parameter explicitly.

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 ('Get the full text of a CFR section, subpart, part, or appendix') and enumerates the scope hierarchy. An agent can distinguish this retrieval tool from siblings like search_cfr or get_cfr_structure without opening any schema.

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 guidance: 'Specify the narrowest scope possible', with a worked example for each scope level and a warning that chapter requests are often >1 MB and should be avoided. It also names alternatives implicitly (structure vs. content) and states the date pitfall ('Do NOT use today's date directly -- eCFR lags 1-2 business days').

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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