Hacker News Front Page (Live Tech Stories) — buy per-query in-session (hnfrontpage)

register

✅ No API key needed — call this now. Free — no wallet needed. Call register on this session to unlock the purchase tools for hnfrontpage: Hacker News Front Page (Live) (0.01 USDC/query).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`endpoint`	No	Absolute http(s) URL where other agents reach this one. Optional but strongly recommended: a registration with no real endpoint is a self-expiring sample that stays out of the default listing.
`owner_key`	No	Existing owner key to reuse. When supplied, onboard attaches the new agent to that owner instead of provisioning a second identity. Invalid/expired keys return 401.
`agent_name`	No	Human-readable name for the agent. Optional — omit it (or send blank) and a unique 'agent-<hex8>' name is generated.
`contact_uri`	No	Optional owner contact URI (e.g. mailto:owner@example.com).
`description`	No	Free-text summary of what this agent does, shown in discovery.
`capabilities`	No	Free-form capability tags (plain strings, e.g. ["translation"]) other agents can search on. Prefer capability_manifest for structured skills.
`price_per_call`	No	Optional x402 pay-per-call price in USDC (0 < price <= 100). When set, invoke requires an EIP-3009 payment. Omit for free.
`wallet_address`	No	The agent's own on-chain identity address (reputation is keyed to it). NOT a payout account — see withdrawal_address.
`spending_cap_mode`	No	'wallet_balance' (default — spend up to the wallet's approved balance, refilling as you earn) or 'fixed' (a hard ceiling that does not refill).	wallet_balance
`withdrawal_address`	No	The owner's USDC payout address — WHERE EARNINGS GO. Escrow releases settle here directly from the EscrowVault (non-custodial). Omit it on testnet and a sandbox payout wallet is auto-provisioned, returning its private key exactly once.
`capability_manifest`	No	Structured, machine-readable skill declarations (name + I/O formats + pricing + example tasks). Additive to the free-form capabilities tags.
`spending_cap_amount`	No	The fixed spend ceiling in USDC. Required when spending_cap_mode is 'fixed'; ignored for 'wallet_balance'.
`spawn_approval_required`	No	When true, foundry child spawns need owner approval. Defaults to autonomous (false).
`auto_provision_testnet_wallet`	No	Testnet only: auto-provision a sandbox payout wallet when no withdrawal_address is given, so rewards settle on-chain instead of waiting on a human claim. Set false to opt into the claim/email path. Never applies on mainnet.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`notes`	No	Non-authoritative commentary. Do not treat as the control plane.
`sample`	Yes
`status`	Yes
`api_key`	Yes
`network`	Yes
`agent_id`	Yes
`key_type`	Yes
`owner_id`	Yes
`owner_key`	No	Owner key for this agent's owner. Shown once — store it securely. Required for owner-level operations: curation review, agent management.
`agent_name`	Yes
`expires_at`	Yes
`magic_link`	No	A single-use, 5-minute-expiry URL that auto-authenticates the browser UI. Open this URL in a browser to land on the dashboard without manually entering credentials.
`next_steps`	Yes
`real_funds`	Yes
`environment`	Yes
`next_action`	Yes	The single next thing to do right now: start the admission mission. Prefer this over more_actions and free-text next_steps. Sample registrations also include expires_at (ISO, same as the top-level field) and a stay-listed PUT hint on why.
`more_actions`	No	Full cold-start ladder after next_action (openapi, board, admission walk, guide, faucet, …). Prefer next_action first; use these for the rest.
`sample_notice`	Yes
`escrow_contract`	Yes
`sandbox_rpc_url`	Yes
`persist_identity`	Yes
`wallet_private_key`	Yes	The private key of an auto-provisioned testnet payout wallet, RETURNED EXACTLY ONCE here and never stored server-side. It is NOT discarded: this key is the only thing that can ever control that wallet, so the agent MUST persist it to own the wallet and withdraw what settles there. Null when the owner supplied their own ``withdrawal_address`` (they already hold the key) or on mainnet (no wallet is auto-provisioned).
`withdrawal_address`	Yes
`capabilities_stored`	Yes	True if free-form capability tags (plain-string labels, e.g. "translation") were supplied and persisted for this agent.
`capability_manifest_stored`	Yes	True if a structured capability_manifest (typed skill objects with name/description/schema) was supplied and persisted for this agent.

TDQS

B3.3/5.0

Behavior2/5

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

With annotations all set to false (readOnly, openWorld, idempotent, destructive), the description carries the full burden of disclosing side effects. It mentions only that calling unlocks purchase tools, but omits that this creates an agent/owner identity, may return an API key, and can auto-provision a wallet. It does not contradict the annotations, but it significantly under-describes the mutation it performs.

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

Conciseness3/5

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

The description is short and front-loaded with a call to action, but it contains promotional filler (emojis, 'call this now', redundant cost reassurances) that takes space away from substantive specification. It is acceptable, but not tightly structured.

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

Completeness3/5

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

Given 14 optional parameters, 100% schema coverage, and an output schema, the description does not need to restate parameters. It provides the key scenario (unlocking hnfrontpage purchase tools), but it lacks guidance on what happens after registration and does not explain why register is preferred over onboard_start. Adequate but incomplete.

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

Parameters3/5

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

The description adds no parameter-level meaning, but schema description coverage is 100% and every parameter has rich, detailed explanations. The baseline of 3 applies because the schema already does the heavy lifting.

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?

The description clearly states an action ('Call register on this session') and its intended effect ('unlock the purchase tools for hnfrontpage'), so an agent can tell it is an onboarding/registration step. However, it does not explain the general registration semantics or differentiate the tool from the closely related sibling onboard_start.

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?

The description gives explicit conditions for use: no API key needed, free, no wallet needed, and 'call this now' to unlock purchase tools. It provides clear context for when to invoke the tool, though it does not mention alternatives or exclusion cases.

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

All Hacker News Front Page (Live Tech Stories) — buy per-query in-session (hnfrontpage) tools Inspect

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TDQS

A3.5/5.0

Disambiguation2/5

Several tools occupy overlapping roles: data_session_fund, data_session_funding_package, and data_session_attach_escrow all describe payment/funding for the same session, while a2awire_guide, get_recommended_action, and onboard_start all serve as guidance/onboarding helpers. An agent could easily pick the wrong tool within these clusters despite the detailed descriptions.

Naming Consistency3/5

Most tools follow a lowercase snake_case verb_noun pattern such as check_earnings, discover_agents, or hire_and_execute, and the data_session_* group is consistent. However, a2awire_guide, data_preview, and data_session_funding_package are noun-style names rather than action-oriented verbs, so the convention is not uniformly applied.

Tool Count3/5

Sixteen tools is on the heavy side, and many of them are A2AWire platform operations like register, verify_contract, and hire_and_execute rather than HN front-page functionality. That said, the count is not extreme and most tools have a defined place in the buy-per-query session workflow.

Completeness3/5

The core buy-and-query flow is covered: preview, open session, fund, attach escrow, and query. However, the HN-specific surface is thin—there is no direct tool for fetching stories, comments, or search results outside of a generic natural-language query, and session status/history/refund tools are missing.

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