Google Big Query

get_table_info

Read-onlyIdempotent

Get metadata information about a BigQuery table.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`tableId`	Yes	Required. Table ID of the table request.
`datasetId`	Yes	Required. Dataset ID of the table request.
`projectId`	Yes	Required. Project ID of the table request.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`id`	No	Output only. An opaque ID uniquely identifying the table.
`etag`	No	Output only. A hash of this resource.
`kind`	No	The type of resource ID.	bigquery#table
`type`	No	Output only. Describes the table type. The following values are supported: * `TABLE`: A normal BigQuery table. * `VIEW`: A virtual table defined by a SQL query. * `EXTERNAL`: A table that references data stored in an external storage system, such as Google Cloud Storage. * `MATERIALIZED_VIEW`: A precomputed view defined by a SQL query. * `SNAPSHOT`: An immutable BigQuery table that preserves the contents of a base table at a particular time. See additional information on [table snapshots](https://cloud.google.com/bigquery/docs/table-snapshots-intro). The default value is `TABLE`.
`view`	No	Optional. The view definition.
`labels`	No	The labels associated with this table. You can use these to organize and group your tables. Label keys and values can be no longer than 63 characters, can only contain lowercase letters, numeric characters, underscores and dashes. International characters are allowed. Label values are optional. Label keys must start with a letter and each label in the list must have a different key.
`schema`	No	Optional. Describes the schema of this table.
`numRows`	No	Output only. The number of rows of data in this table, excluding any data in the streaming buffer.
`location`	No	Output only. The geographic location where the table resides. This value is inherited from the dataset.
`numBytes`	No	Output only. The size of this table in logical bytes, excluding any data in the streaming buffer.
`replicas`	No	Optional. Output only. Table references of all replicas currently active on the table.
`selfLink`	No	Output only. A URL that can be used to access this resource again.
`clustering`	No	Clustering specification for the table. Must be specified with time-based partitioning, data in the table will be first partitioned and subsequently clustered.
`description`	No	Optional. A user-friendly description of this table.
`creationTime`	No	Output only. The time when this table was created, in milliseconds since the epoch.
`friendlyName`	No	Optional. A descriptive name for this table.
`maxStaleness`	No	Optional. The maximum staleness of data that could be returned when the table (or stale MV) is queried. Staleness encoded as a string encoding of sql IntervalValue type.
`resourceTags`	No	Optional. The [tags](https://cloud.google.com/bigquery/docs/tags) attached to this table. Tag keys are globally unique. Tag key is expected to be in the namespaced format, for example "123456789012/environment" where 123456789012 is the ID of the parent organization or project resource for this tag key. Tag value is expected to be the short name, for example "Production". See [Tag definitions](https://cloud.google.com/iam/docs/tags-access-control#definitions) for more details.
`restrictions`	No	Optional. Output only. Restriction config for table. If set, restrict certain accesses on the table based on the config. See [Data egress](https://cloud.google.com/bigquery/docs/analytics-hub-introduction#data_egress) for more details.
`numPartitions`	No	Output only. The number of partitions present in the table or materialized view. This data is not kept in real time, and might be delayed by a few seconds to a few minutes.
`expirationTime`	No	Optional. The time when this table expires, in milliseconds since the epoch. If not present, the table will persist indefinitely. Expired tables will be deleted and their storage reclaimed. The defaultTableExpirationMs property of the encapsulating dataset can be used to set a default expirationTime on newly created tables.
`tableReference`	No	Required. Reference describing the ID of this table.
`cloneDefinition`	No	Output only. Contains information about the clone. This value is set via the clone operation.
`streamingBuffer`	No	Output only. Contains information regarding this table's streaming buffer, if one is present. This field will be absent if the table is not being streamed to or if there is no data in the streaming buffer.
`defaultCollation`	No	Optional. Defines the default collation specification of new STRING fields in the table. During table creation or update, if a STRING field is added to this table without explicit collation specified, then the table inherits the table default collation. A change to this field affects only fields added afterwards, and does not alter the existing fields. The following values are supported: * 'und:ci': undetermined locale, case insensitive. * '': empty string. Default to case-sensitive behavior.
`lastModifiedTime`	No	Output only. The time when this table was last modified, in milliseconds since the epoch.
`managedTableType`	No	Optional. If set, overrides the default managed table type configured in the dataset.
`materializedView`	No	Optional. The materialized view definition.
`numLongTermBytes`	No	Output only. The number of logical bytes in the table that are considered "long-term storage".
`numPhysicalBytes`	No	Output only. The physical size of this table in bytes. This includes storage used for time travel.
`tableConstraints`	No	Optional. Tables Primary Key and Foreign Key information
`timePartitioning`	No	If specified, configures time-based partitioning for this table.
`rangePartitioning`	No	If specified, configures range partitioning for this table.
`snapshotDefinition`	No	Output only. Contains information about the snapshot. This value is set via snapshot creation.
`defaultRoundingMode`	No	Optional. Defines the default rounding mode specification of new decimal fields (NUMERIC OR BIGNUMERIC) in the table. During table creation or update, if a decimal field is added to this table without an explicit rounding mode specified, then the field inherits the table default rounding mode. Changing this field doesn't affect existing fields.
`partitionDefinition`	No	Optional. The partition information for all table formats, including managed partitioned tables, hive partitioned tables, iceberg partitioned, and metastore partitioned tables. This field is only populated for metastore partitioned tables. For other table formats, this is an output only field.
`biglakeConfiguration`	No	Optional. Specifies the configuration of a BigQuery table for Apache Iceberg.
`numTotalLogicalBytes`	No	Output only. Total number of logical bytes in the table or materialized view.
`tableReplicationInfo`	No	Optional. Table replication info for table created `AS REPLICA` DDL like: `CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW mv1 AS REPLICA OF src_mv`
`numActiveLogicalBytes`	No	Output only. Number of logical bytes that are less than 90 days old.
`numTotalPhysicalBytes`	No	Output only. The physical size of this table in bytes. This also includes storage used for time travel. This data is not kept in real time, and might be delayed by a few seconds to a few minutes.
`materializedViewStatus`	No	Output only. The materialized view status.
`numActivePhysicalBytes`	No	Output only. Number of physical bytes less than 90 days old. This data is not kept in real time, and might be delayed by a few seconds to a few minutes.
`requirePartitionFilter`	No	Optional. If set to true, queries over this table require a partition filter that can be used for partition elimination to be specified.	false
`encryptionConfiguration`	No	Custom encryption configuration (e.g., Cloud KMS keys).
`numCurrentPhysicalBytes`	No	Output only. Number of physical bytes used by current live data storage. This data is not kept in real time, and might be delayed by a few seconds to a few minutes.
`numLongTermLogicalBytes`	No	Output only. Number of logical bytes that are more than 90 days old.
`numLongTermPhysicalBytes`	No	Output only. Number of physical bytes more than 90 days old. This data is not kept in real time, and might be delayed by a few seconds to a few minutes.
`externalDataConfiguration`	No	Optional. Describes the data format, location, and other properties of a table stored outside of BigQuery. By defining these properties, the data source can then be queried as if it were a standard BigQuery table.
`numTimeTravelPhysicalBytes`	No	Output only. Number of physical bytes used by time travel storage (deleted or changed data). This data is not kept in real time, and might be delayed by a few seconds to a few minutes.
`externalCatalogTableOptions`	No	Optional. Options defining open source compatible table.

TDQS

B3.4/5.0

Behavior3/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, idempotentHint=true, and destructiveHint=false, so the safety profile is clear. The description adds no additional behavioral context such as permission requirements or error conditions, but it does not contradict the annotations.

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?

The description is a single concise sentence that is front-loaded with the key verb and object, with no unnecessary words.

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?

For a simple metadata retrieval tool with a well-defined schema and annotations, the description is adequate. The output schema presumably defines the return format, so the description does not need to enumerate metadata fields. However, it could explicitly mention the table-level scope to differentiate from dataset-level information.

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 coverage is 100% with each parameter described as 'Required. X ID of the table request.' The description adds no additional meaning beyond these schema descriptions.

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 the action ('Get') and resource ('metadata information about a BigQuery table'). It is distinct from sibling tools like list_table_ids and get_dataset_info, but it does not explicitly differentiate itself from them.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

No guidance is provided about when to use this tool versus alternatives such as get_dataset_info or list_table_ids. The description simply states what it does without giving selection criteria or exclusions.

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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TDQS

A4.2/5.0

Disambiguation5/5

Each tool has a distinct purpose: execute_sql and execute_sql_readonly are clearly separated by write/read access, while get_dataset_info, get_table_info, list_dataset_ids, and list_table_ids cover distinct metadata retrieval operations. No overlap in functionality.

Naming Consistency5/5

All tool names follow a consistent verb_noun pattern: execute_sql, get_dataset_info, get_table_info, list_dataset_ids, list_table_ids. The verb clearly indicates the action (execute, get, list) and the noun indicates the target resource.

Tool Count5/5

With 6 tools, the set is well-scoped for a BigQuery server. It provides both query execution and metadata listing/inspection without unnecessary duplication or bloat.

Completeness5/5

The tool set covers both data manipulation and metadata discovery. The execute_sql tool supports all BigQuery SQL (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, DROP, etc.), allowing full lifecycle management. Metadata tools provide listing and detailed info for datasets and tables, covering the core introspection needs.

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