China Footnotes

Get pre-trip topic

get_pretrip_topic

Read-onlyIdempotent

Get one China Footnotes "Before you go" topic by id: the essentials, a checklist, dated items such as holiday crowd calendars or rule changes, traveler tips and sources. Topic ids come from list_pretrip_topics. Optional sections return selected structured content with sources; without sections the full article is returned. Rules such as visa policy change, so each item carries the date it was checked.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`id`	Yes	Topic id from list_pretrip_topics, e.g. "visa" or "payments".
`sections`	No	Parts of the topic to return; omit for the full article. items: dated items such as rule changes; calendar: holiday crowd calendar.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`id`	Yes
`url`	Yes
`stage`	No
`title`	Yes
`keyFact`	No
`sources`	No	Source id index. Dates are stored evidence dates, not rendering dates; null means unavailable.
`sections`	No
`timezone`	No
`checkedAt`	No
`dataVersion`	No
`renderedFor`	No
`evidenceScope`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedOct 31, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / id / description

Previous value: -"Topic id, e.g. \"visa\" or \"payments\"."New value: +"Topic id from list_pretrip_topics, e.g. \"visa\" or \"payments\"."

addedInput schema / properties / sections / description

Added value: +"Parts of the topic to return; omit for the full article. items: dated items such as rule changes; calendar: holiday crowd calendar."

Changed8 schema fields changedOct 16, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / id / maxLength
```
Added value: +100
```

addedInput schema / properties / sections

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "enum": [
+      "overview",
+      "essentials",
+      "checklist",
+      "items",
+      "calendar"
+    ],
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "maxItems": 5,
+  "minItems": 1,
+  "type": "array",
+  "uniqueItems": true
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / dataVersion

Added value: +{
+  "type": [
+    "string",
+    "null"
+  ]
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / evidenceScope

Added value: +{
+  "enum": [
+    "source_ids",
+    "topic_catalogue_not_fact_mapping"
+  ]
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / renderedFor
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / sections
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "object"
+}
```

addedOutput schema / properties / sources

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {
+    "properties": {
+      "accessedAt": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "checkedAt": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "kind": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "label": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "publishedAt": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "url": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      },
+      "verificationMethod": {
+        "type": [
+          "string",
+          "null"
+        ]
+      }
+    },
+    "type": [
+      "object",
+      "null"
+    ]
+  },
+  "description": "Source id index. Dates are stored evidence dates, not rendering dates; null means unavailable.",
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / timezone

Added value: +{
+  "const": "Asia/Shanghai"
+}

First observedOct 12, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare read-only, idempotent, non-destructive behavior, and the description adds genuine context beyond them: sections return selected structured content with sources, omitting sections returns the full article, and items carry a checked date. The penultimate sentence ('Rules such as visa policy change, so each item carries the date...') is grammatically broken, slightly muddying the freshness guarantee.

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 operation and content scope, then the id source, then the section behavior. Nearly every sentence earns its place, though the garbled 'Rules such as visa policy change, so each item...' sentence costs clarity.

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

Completeness4/5

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

With annotations covering safety, 100% schema coverage and an output schema present, the description needn't explain returns; it still covers content scope, id provenance, and section behavior. Only the when-to-use-versus-siblings angle is thin.

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, but the description earns more by explaining the semantic difference between passing sections (selective structured content with sources) and omitting them (full article), which the schema only states tersely.

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 one China Footnotes "Before you go" topic by id') and enumerates the content types returned (essentials, checklist, dated items, tips, sources). It also names list_pretrip_topics as the id source, which separates it from siblings like get_current_notices or search_places.

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?

Gives a clear entry path by pointing to list_pretrip_topics for ids, and explains the sections-vs-full-article choice. It does not say when to prefer this over get_current_notices, but the usage context is otherwise explicit.

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

All China Footnotes tools Inspect

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