Slice

Start an episode

start_episode

Use this when the user wants a podcast, interview, stream or other video turned into short clips. An audio-only episode (MP3, M4A, WAV, OGG or FLAC) works too: its clips come out as captioned vertical videos drawn with an audio template. With a video or audio file attached in the chat, pass it as file: it is copied into Slice, transcribed, and searched for the moments worth posting, with no further steps. With no file, it returns an upload_url for the user to open and drop the file in (up to three hours and 4.5GB). Follow with get_episode. If the user shared a video without saying what they want, ASK FIRST: "Find the best clips in it, or edit the whole video as one piece?". For the whole video pass purpose "whole": Slice only transcribes it (no clip search, no clips email), then make_clips with one stretch from 0 to its full length makes it one clip (10 minutes at most; a longer video must be split into parts or turned into clips). Do not use when the user only wants the words as text (use transcribe_audio), and do not use for links to YouTube or other web pages; those are not supported.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`file`	No	A video or audio file the user attached in the conversation.
`name`	No	What to call the episode. Defaults to the file name.
`purpose`	No	"clips" (default): Slice finds the best clips. "whole": edit the whole video as one piece, with no clip search; ask the user first when they have not said.
`content_type`	No	What kind of video it is, which decides how clips are found: podcast (a podcast or interview), stream (a livestream or gaming video) or other (a vlog, challenge, talk or story). Pass it when the user's video is clearly one of these. Otherwise leave it out and Slice will guess.
`target_seconds`	No	Optional. How long each clip should be, in seconds (15 to 180), when the user asks for a length, e.g. "30 second clips". Every clip found then plays for at most this long and at most 10% less (at least 3 seconds less), cut at clean sentence or pause boundaries; fewer clips come back if few moments fit. Leave it out for clips of any length (30 to 150 seconds). Works with or without a focus.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`name`	No
`status`	Yes
`message`	Yes
`episode_id`	Yes
`upload_url`	No	Open this to upload the video or audio file. Works for two hours.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedOct 30, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / purpose

Added value: +{
+  "description": "\"clips\" (default): Slice finds the best clips. \"whole\": edit the whole video as one piece, with no clip search; ask the user first when they have not said.",
+  "enum": [
+    "clips",
+    "whole"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

First observedOct 17, 2026

TDQS

A4.6/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Goes well beyond the annotations: states the file is copied into Slice, transcribed and searched, that no-file calls return an upload_url, the 3-hour/4.5GB limits, and that purpose "whole" only transcribes with no clip search. Minor gap: no mention of processing time or async job behavior beyond pointing to get_episode.

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 primary use case and efficiently grouped by branch (file / no file / whole). It is dense and lengthy, with some downstream make_clips detail that could live in a sibling, but no sentence is filler.

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?

With an output schema and annotations covering safety, the description covers the remaining agent needs: when to call, what to do with an attached file, the upload fallback and its limits, the clarifying question, and which sibling to use next.

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 baseline is 3, but the description adds real meaning: what passing file does (copied, transcribed), the no-file upload_url path, and the operational consequence of purpose "whole" (transcribe only, then make_clips with a 10-minute cap).

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 opening sentence states a specific verb and resource ('turned into short clips') and enumerates the source types (podcast, interview, stream, video, audio-only) it covers. It also differentiates itself from siblings by naming transcribe_audio and the get_episode follow-up.

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?

It gives explicit when-to-use branches (file attached vs. no file), a prescribed clarifying question when intent is ambiguous, the purpose "whole" path, and explicit exclusions (transcribe_audio for text only, unsupported YouTube/web links). Nothing is left to inference.

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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