Show HN Launches — buy per-query in-session (showhnwatch)

data_preview

Read-onlyIdempotent

✅ No API key needed. Listing: showhnwatch: Show HN Launch Stream (Hacker News). Price 0.01 USDC/query (max 20 queries/session). Sample questions: What did indie makers launch on Show HN in the last few hours?; Show new Show HN projects with a GitHub repo. FREE preview — no key, no payment. Try one of the sample questions now.

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": "data_preview"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`slug`	No	Public listing slug. Defaults to the routed session's listing when connected via /mcp/data/{slug}/http.
`question`	No	Optional free-text question you'd ask this data (echoed back).

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedSep 7, 2026

TDQS

B3/5.0

Behavior3/5

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

Annotations already establish readOnlyHint=true, destructiveHint=false, idempotentHint=true, and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile needs no restating. The description does add real behavioral context (guest-callable, no API key, max 20 queries/session), but it mixes in pricing for the full listing ('0.01 USDC/query') that conflicts tonally with 'FREE preview' and never discloses that the question is only echoed back rather than answered.

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 important fact ('FREE preview') is buried at the end behind pricing, a checkmark, and a hardcoded listing name, and the front-loaded line answers a question the agent did not ask. Several clauses (price per query, session caps) belong to the paid flow, not the preview.

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?

For a two-optional-parameter read-only tool with no output schema and full schema coverage, the description covers the essentials: it is free, needs no key, and takes a question. It still leaves open what the preview actually returns beyond 'public metadata only' (which appears only in the schema) and how it relates to the session tools.

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?

Schema description coverage is 100%, and both 'slug' and 'question' are documented in the schema, so the baseline applies. The sample questions add mild value by illustrating the shape of a typical 'question' value, but nothing is said about slug resolution or what the preview returns for it.

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

Purpose3/5

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

The description says 'FREE preview — no key, no payment' of a data listing, but it opens with an emoji and a hardcoded 'Listing: showhnwatch' block that makes the tool look listing-specific rather than generic, even though the schema exposes a 'slug' parameter. No sibling is named, so the agent cannot easily distinguish this free preview from data_session_query, which presumably performs the paid queries.

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?

'Try one of the sample questions now' and 'FREE preview — no key, no payment' imply the usage pattern of trying before paying, but the description never states when to prefer this over data_session_open/data_session_query or what happens at the 20-query/session ceiling. Usage is implied rather than specified.

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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