seriesRunning stories the desk follows as one series, such as the 2026 elections or the Sahara. Without a slug, lists every series with its count and latest piece; with one, gives every piece in reading order, oldest first.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| slug | No | A series slug, e.g. elections or sahara. | |
| locale | No | Edition: fr (primary) or en. | fr |
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
No arguments | |||
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Input schema / properties / slug / descriptionPrevious value: -"A series slug from the list, e.g. elections."New value: +"A series slug, e.g. elections or sahara."Output schema / anyOfPrevious value: -[
- {
- "additionalProperties": false,
- "properties": {
- "series": {
- "items": {
- "additionalProperties": false,
- "properties": {
- "count": {
- "maximum": 9007199254740991,
- "minimum": -9007199254740991,
- "type": "integer"
- },
- "latest": {
- "anyOf": [
- {
- "additionalProperties": false,
- "properties": {
- "author": {
- "type": [
- "string",
- "null"
- ]
- },
- "category": {
- "description": "hist, cult, pol, actu, sport or eco.",
- "type": "string"
- },
- "featured": {
- "description": "On the front page (a la une).",
- "type": "boolean"
- },
- "id": {
- "description": "news/<slug> or articles/<slug>; pass to fetch, related, get_sources.",
- "type": "string"
- },
- "match": {
- "description": "How search found it.",
- "enum": [
- "keyword",
- "semantic"
- ],
- "type": "string"
- },
- "published": {
- "description": "ISO 8601 publication time.",
- "type": "string"
- },
- "summary": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "tags": {
- "items": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "type": "array"
- },
- "title": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "type": {
- "enum": [
- "article",
- "news"
- ],
- "type": "string"
- },
- "url": {
- "description": "Page URL on moorishtimes.com.",
- "type": "string"
- }
- },
- "required": [
- "id",
- "title",
- "summary",
- "type",
- "category",
- "tags",
- "author",
- "published",
- "featured",
- "url"
- ],
- "type": "object"
- },
- {
- "type": "null"
- }
- ]
- },
- "slug": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "tag": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "title": {
- "type": "string"
- }
- },
- "required": [
- "slug",
- "title",
- "tag",
- "count",
- "latest"
- ],
- "type": "object"
- },
- "type": "array"
- }
- },
- "required": [
- "series"
- ],
- "type": "object"
- },
- {
- "additionalProperties": false,
- "properties": {
- "items": {
- "items": {
- "additionalProperties": false,
- "properties": {
- "author": {
- "type": [
- "string",
- "null"
- ]
- },
- "category": {
- "description": "hist, cult, pol, actu, sport or eco.",
- "type": "string"
- },
- "featured": {
- "description": "On the front page (a la une).",
- "type": "boolean"
- },
- "id": {
- "description": "news/<slug> or articles/<slug>; pass to fetch, related, get_sources.",
- "type": "string"
- },
- "match": {
- "description": "How search found it.",
- "enum": [
- "keyword",
- "semantic"
- ],
- "type": "string"
- },
- "published": {
- "description": "ISO 8601 publication time.",
- "type": "string"
- },
- "summary": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "tags": {
- "items": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "type": "array"
- },
- "title": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "type": {
- "enum": [
- "article",
- "news"
- ],
- "type": "string"
- },
- "url": {
- "description": "Page URL on moorishtimes.com.",
- "type": "string"
- }
- },
- "required": [
- "id",
- "title",
- "summary",
- "type",
- "category",
- "tags",
- "author",
- "published",
- "featured",
- "url"
- ],
- "type": "object"
- },
- "type": "array"
- },
- "slug": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "tag": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "title": {
- "type": "string"
- }
- },
- "required": [
- "slug",
- "title",
- "tag",
- "items"
- ],
- "type": "object"
- }
-]New value: +[
+ {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "series": {
+ "items": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "count": {
+ "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+ "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ "latest": {
+ "anyOf": [
+ {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "author": {
+ "type": [
+ "string",
+ "null"
+ ]
+ },
+ "category": {
+ "description": "hist, cult, pol, actu, sport or eco.",
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "featured": {
+ "description": "On the front page (a la une).",
+ "type": "boolean"
+ },
+ "id": {
+ "description": "news/<slug> or articles/<slug>, the id every piece tool accepts.",
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "match": {
+ "description": "keyword for a word match, semantic for a match in meaning.",
+ "enum": [
+ "keyword",
+ "semantic"
+ ],
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "published": {
+ "description": "ISO 8601 publication time.",
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "summary": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "tags": {
+ "items": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "title": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": {
+ "enum": [
+ "article",
+ "news"
+ ],
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "url": {
+ "description": "Page URL on moorishtimes.com.",
+ "type": "string"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "id",
+ "title",
+ "summary",
+ "type",
+ "category",
+ "tags",
+ "author",
+ "published",
+ "featured",
+ "url"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+ ]
+ },
+ "slug": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "tag": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "title": {
+ "type": "string"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "slug",
+ "title",
+ "tag",
+ "count",
+ "latest"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "series"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "items": {
+ "items": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "author": {
+ "type": [
+ "string",
+ "null"
+ ]
+ },
+ "category": {
+ "description": "hist, cult, pol, actu, sport or eco.",
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "featured": {
+ "description": "On the front page (a la une).",
+ "type": "boolean"
+ },
+ "id": {
+ "description": "news/<slug> or articles/<slug>, the id every piece tool accepts.",
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "match": {
+ "description": "keyword for a word match, semantic for a match in meaning.",
+ "enum": [
+ "keyword",
+ "semantic"
+ ],
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "published": {
+ "description": "ISO 8601 publication time.",
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "summary": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "tags": {
+ "items": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "title": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": {
+ "enum": [
+ "article",
+ "news"
+ ],
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "url": {
+ "description": "Page URL on moorishtimes.com.",
+ "type": "string"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "id",
+ "title",
+ "summary",
+ "type",
+ "category",
+ "tags",
+ "author",
+ "published",
+ "featured",
+ "url"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ "type": "array"
+ },
+ "slug": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "tag": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "title": {
+ "type": "string"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "slug",
+ "title",
+ "tag",
+ "items"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ }
+]Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare a safe, read-only, idempotent, closed-world read, so the description doesn't need to restate safety. It adds real value beyond them: the return shape in each mode (counts + latest piece vs. every piece) and the ordering guarantee ('reading order, oldest first').
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
One sentence of definition followed by the two conditional modes in a tight semicolon structure. Front-loaded with the concept, no repetition of schema or annotation content.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Output schema exists, so return-value detail needn't be spelled out, and the description still covers both invocation modes and ordering. Nothing an agent needs in order to call this correctly is missing.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
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 goes beyond the schema by explaining the semantic consequence of omitting slug (aggregate listing) and of providing it (full article sequence), which is the key thing an agent must understand before calling.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
States a specific resource ('running stories the desk follows as one series') with concrete examples (2026 elections, Sahara), and its two operating modes. This is clearly distinguishable from siblings like search, fetch, or list_tags.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
Explicitly says what happens with and without a slug, which effectively tells the agent which mode to pick for listing vs. reading a series. It stops short of naming alternatives (e.g., 'use search to discover a slug you don't know'), so it's clear context but not full routing guidance.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
Add one secure layer between your agents and this server.