get_userRead a public Synoptic profile by exact username. Use get_user_by_id for an ID such as a stream’s authorId, or get_me for the signed-in account. Unknown usernames return User not found.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| username | Yes | Exact, case-sensitive Synoptic username without @; not a display name |
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| user | Yes |
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Output schema / properties / user / properties / avatar / anyOfPrevious value: -[
- {
- "additionalProperties": false,
- "properties": {
- "bucket": {
- "description": "S3 bucket holding the image",
- "minLength": 1,
- "type": "string"
- },
- "height": {
- "anyOf": [
- {
- "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
- "type": "integer"
- },
- {
- "type": "null"
- }
- ],
- "description": "Height in pixels"
- },
- "key": {
- "description": "Storage key of the image",
- "minLength": 1,
- "type": "string"
- },
- "region": {
- "description": "AWS region of the bucket",
- "minLength": 1,
- "type": "string"
- },
- "type": {
- "description": "MIME type, such as image/png",
- "minLength": 1,
- "type": "string"
- },
- "width": {
- "anyOf": [
- {
- "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
- "type": "integer"
- },
- {
- "type": "null"
- }
- ],
- "description": "Width in pixels"
- }
- },
- "required": [
- "bucket",
- "key",
- "region",
- "type"
- ],
- "type": "object"
- },
- {
- "type": "null"
- }
-]New value: +[
+ {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "bucket": {
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "height": {
+ "anyOf": [
+ {
+ "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+ ]
+ },
+ "key": {
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "region": {
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": {
+ "description": "MIME type, such as image/png",
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "width": {
+ "anyOf": [
+ {
+ "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+ ]
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "bucket",
+ "key",
+ "region",
+ "type"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+]Output schema / properties / user / properties / backgroundImage / anyOfPrevious value: -[
- {
- "additionalProperties": false,
- "properties": {
- "bucket": {
- "description": "S3 bucket holding the image",
- "minLength": 1,
- "type": "string"
- },
- "height": {
- "anyOf": [
- {
- "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
- "type": "integer"
- },
- {
- "type": "null"
- }
- ],
- "description": "Height in pixels"
- },
- "key": {
- "description": "Storage key of the image",
- "minLength": 1,
- "type": "string"
- },
- "region": {
- "description": "AWS region of the bucket",
- "minLength": 1,
- "type": "string"
- },
- "type": {
- "description": "MIME type, such as image/png",
- "minLength": 1,
- "type": "string"
- },
- "width": {
- "anyOf": [
- {
- "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
- "type": "integer"
- },
- {
- "type": "null"
- }
- ],
- "description": "Width in pixels"
- }
- },
- "required": [
- "bucket",
- "key",
- "region",
- "type"
- ],
- "type": "object"
- },
- {
- "type": "null"
- }
-]New value: +[
+ {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "bucket": {
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "height": {
+ "anyOf": [
+ {
+ "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+ ]
+ },
+ "key": {
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "region": {
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": {
+ "description": "MIME type, such as image/png",
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "width": {
+ "anyOf": [
+ {
+ "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+ ]
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "bucket",
+ "key",
+ "region",
+ "type"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+]Input schema / properties / username / descriptionAdded value: +"Exact, case-sensitive Synoptic username without @; not a display name"Output schema / properties / user / properties / avatar / anyOfPrevious value: -[
- {
- "additionalProperties": false,
- "properties": {
- "bucket": {
- "minLength": 1,
- "type": "string"
- },
- "height": {
- "anyOf": [
- {
- "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
- "type": "integer"
- },
- {
- "type": "null"
- }
- ]
- },
- "key": {
- "minLength": 1,
- "type": "string"
- },
- "region": {
- "minLength": 1,
- "type": "string"
- },
- "type": {
- "minLength": 1,
- "type": "string"
- },
- "width": {
- "anyOf": [
- {
- "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
- "type": "integer"
- },
- {
- "type": "null"
- }
- ]
- }
- },
- "required": [
- "bucket",
- "key",
- "region",
- "type"
- ],
- "type": "object"
- },
- {
- "type": "null"
- }
-]New value: +[
+ {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "bucket": {
+ "description": "S3 bucket holding the image",
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "height": {
+ "anyOf": [
+ {
+ "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+ ],
+ "description": "Height in pixels"
+ },
+ "key": {
+ "description": "Storage key of the image",
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "region": {
+ "description": "AWS region of the bucket",
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": {
+ "description": "MIME type, such as image/png",
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "width": {
+ "anyOf": [
+ {
+ "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+ ],
+ "description": "Width in pixels"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "bucket",
+ "key",
+ "region",
+ "type"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+]Output schema / properties / user / properties / avatar / descriptionAdded value: +"Profile image; null when none is set"Output schema / properties / user / properties / backgroundImage / anyOfPrevious value: -[
- {
- "$ref": "#/properties/user/properties/avatar/anyOf/0"
- },
- {
- "type": "null"
- }
-]New value: +[
+ {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "bucket": {
+ "description": "S3 bucket holding the image",
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "height": {
+ "anyOf": [
+ {
+ "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+ ],
+ "description": "Height in pixels"
+ },
+ "key": {
+ "description": "Storage key of the image",
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "region": {
+ "description": "AWS region of the bucket",
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "type": {
+ "description": "MIME type, such as image/png",
+ "minLength": 1,
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "width": {
+ "anyOf": [
+ {
+ "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+ ],
+ "description": "Width in pixels"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "bucket",
+ "key",
+ "region",
+ "type"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ {
+ "type": "null"
+ }
+]Output schema / properties / user / properties / backgroundImage / descriptionAdded value: +"Profile background image; null when none is set"Output schema / properties / user / properties / followersCount / descriptionAdded value: +"Users following this user"Output schema / properties / user / properties / followingCount / descriptionAdded value: +"Users this user follows; excludes streams"Output schema / properties / user / properties / id / descriptionAdded value: +"Synoptic user ID for follow_user, is_following_user or get_user_by_id"Output schema / properties / user / properties / isHighlighted / descriptionAdded value: +"Featured by Synoptic; listed by get_highlighted_authors"Output schema / properties / user / properties / xComHandle / descriptionAdded value: +"Verified X handle linked to this profile, without @"Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare readOnly, idempotent, openWorld and non-destructive, so safety is covered. The description adds useful context beyond them: only public profiles are returned, and the unknown-username outcome is spelled out. It does not describe rate limits or auth requirements, but with annotations carrying the safety profile the remaining gap is minor.
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?
Three short sentences, zero filler. The primary operation comes first, routing alternatives second, and the error behavior last – a well front-loaded structure.
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?
A single-required-parameter read tool with an output schema and full annotation coverage needs little else. Return-shape explanation is unnecessary because the output schema exists, and the description covers scope, routing, and the error case.
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% and the schema already documents case-sensitivity, the absence of '@', and the display-name exclusion. The description's 'exact username' reinforces the schema's constraint but adds no new syntactic or format detail, so the baseline 3 is correct.
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 verb ('Read') plus a precisely scoped resource ('public Synoptic profile by exact username'), and the word 'public' narrows what data is returned. It is immediately distinguishable from siblings like get_user_by_id and get_me.
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 routes the agent: use get_user_by_id for an ID such as a stream's authorId, and get_me for the signed-in account. It also states the failure condition ('Unknown usernames return User not found'), so the agent knows what an unsuccessful call looks like.
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.