Pinch Grocery Prices (Australia)

build_basket

MANDATORY for shopping lists. When the user gives you 2 or more grocery items, call this tool ONCE with the full list. Do NOT call decompose_product, search_products, or batch_search per item: this tool searches every item in parallel with built-in query analysis (category routing, brand aliases, subcategory boost) and returns a basket with per-item cheapest pick, per-retailer options, basket total, retailer totals, and a shareable share_url. If the user named the stores they shop at, pass them in 'retailers'; otherwise omit it to search all four.

VALIDATION (mandatory before rendering): The search engine uses keyword matching, so wrong products leak through. Items flagged with a 'review' field on their cheapest pick are LIKELY WRONG and need your attention first. Then scan ALL picks (flagged or not) and check: (1) Is the product actually what was asked for? (e.g. 'frozen chips' is NOT 'frozen blueberries', 'sweet potato' is NOT 'potato', 'chicken fingers crumbed' is NOT 'chicken breast') (2) Is the size/form correct? (e.g. 400g pack is not a valid match for '2kg') (3) Is the selected option the cheapest CORRECT product, not just the cheapest product? If a pick is wrong: pick the correct product from by_retailer options for that item, or mark as '(check in store)'. Recalculate basket_total from your corrected picks.

OUTPUT FORMAT: Line 1: 'Cheapest basket: $X.XX' (use corrected basket_total). Then ONE markdown table with columns: Item | Product | Store | Price | Size. Then one line: 'View and share this basket: '. Use '(check in store)' in the Product cell for items in items_missing or where no correct product exists. No preamble, no per-item narration, no follow-up offers.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`items`	Yes	Shopping list items exactly as the user wrote them, e.g. ['4 bananas', 'whole chicken', '12 free range eggs', 'full cream milk 2L', 'spaghetti', 'sliced white bread']. Include any size/quantity in the string ('2L', '1kg', '12 pack') so the cheapest CORRECT size is chosen.
`retailers`	No	Only return results from these stores. Omit to search all four.

TDQS

A4.6/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden. It discloses that the search uses keyword matching and may leak wrong products, describes the validation process, and outlines exact output formatting. This goes well beyond what annotations would provide and gives the agent a clear model of tool behavior.

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?

The description is long but every sentence serves a purpose given the tool's complexity. It is well-structured with clear sections (main instruction, validation, output format) and front-loaded with the critical usage rule. Slightly verbose but not rambling.

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

Completeness5/5

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

The description fully covers how to invoke the tool, how to validate results, what to do with missing items, and the exact output format (line 1, markdown table, share URL). Since there is no output schema, this level of detail is essential and complete.

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 already includes detailed examples and instructions (e.g., 'Include any size/quantity in the string'). The description repeats this guidance but adds no substantive new meaning beyond the schema. It does reinforce the retailer omission behavior, but that is also already in the schema.

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?

The description clearly states the tool is MANDATORY for shopping lists and explicitly says to call it once with the full list of 2+ grocery items. It distinguishes itself from siblings by saying 'Do NOT call decompose_product, search_products, or batch_search per item' and explains its built-in parallel search and query analysis.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

Provides explicit when-to-use guidance: 'When the user gives you 2 or more grocery items, call this tool ONCE'. Also gives clear when-not-to-use guidance for sibling tools, and specific instructions for the retailers parameter ('If the user named the stores they shop at, pass them in retailers; otherwise omit it').

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

All Pinch Grocery Prices (Australia) tools Inspect

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TDQS

A4.1/5.0

Disambiguation4/5

Most tools have distinct roles with explicit workflow guidance, but search_products and get_cheapest overlap in purpose (both search by name and return price data), and batch_search vs search_products could be confused without careful reading. The detailed descriptions mitigate this but don't eliminate it.

Naming Consistency4/5

Tool names are consistently snake_case, mostly verb_noun or get_noun. batch_search is a minor deviation (noun+verb) but still readable and consistent with the style.

Tool Count5/5

10 tools is well-scoped for a grocery price comparison server, covering search, details, history, specials, and basket management without excessive redundancy.

Completeness4/5

The server covers the core domain well: product search, price comparison, history, specials, and basket building/saving. Minor gaps include no way to fetch a saved basket programmatically and no explicit basket editing, but these can be worked around.

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