Agent Reliability

Browse Agent Reliability by topic

get_topic

Read-onlyIdempotent

List the knowledge objects carrying a tag (topics are content-backed tags). PAGED: 25 objects by default, 200 at most, and a response budget of about 64 KB per call — a page over budget comes back shorter WITH a next_cursor, never truncated. Read next_cursor and call again to continue, and its absence means you have the last page. Use this to browse a known topic; use search when you have a question rather than a tag, and get_overview to see which tags exist. An unknown tag comes back with the topics that do exist, so a miss still moves you forward.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "tag": "<tag>"
    },
    "name": "get_topic"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`tag`	Yes	The topic to list, spelled exactly as get_overview publishes it. Every published topic has objects under it, so an empty answer means the topic does not exist.
`limit`	No	How many objects to return. Defaults to 25.
`cursor`	No	Continue from a previous call: pass the next_cursor it returned. Opaque; do not construct one.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`tag`	Yes
`total`	Yes	How many objects carry this tag, before paging.
`results`	Yes
`recovery`	No
`returned`	Yes
`next_cursor`	No	Pass to the next call to continue. ABSENT means this was the last page.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed7 schema fields changedSep 6, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / cursor

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Continue from a previous call: pass the next_cursor it returned. Opaque; do not construct one.",
+  "maxLength": 200,
+  "minLength": 1,
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / limit

Added value: +{
+  "description": "How many objects to return. Defaults to 25.",
+  "maximum": 200,
+  "minimum": 1,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / next_cursor

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Pass to the next call to continue. ABSENT means this was the last page.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / x

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {
+    "additionalProperties": {},
+    "propertyNames": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "description": "Indexed instance-specific attributes, grouped by namespace — the same fields api/index.json publishes. Absent when the instance declares none.",
+  "propertyNames": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / returned

Added value: +{
+  "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+  "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / total / description

Added value: +"How many objects carry this tag, before paging."

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "tag",
-  "results",
-  "total"
-]New value: +[
+  "tag",
+  "results",
+  "total",
+  "returned"
+]

Changed1 schema field changedSep 1, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / tag / description

Added value: +"The topic to list, spelled exactly as get_overview publishes it. Every published topic has objects under it, so an empty answer means the topic does not exist."

Changed1 schema field changedAug 26, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / recovery

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "available": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "available_count": {
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "available_truncated": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "did_you_mean": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "hint": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "next_tool": {
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "available_count",
+    "available",
+    "next_tool",
+    "hint"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedAug 23, 2026

TDQS

A4.9/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

Beyond the annotations (read-only, idempotent, non-destructive), the description discloses pagination behavior: 25 default, 200 max, ~64 KB budget, short pages still include next_cursor, and absence of next_cursor signals the last page. It also reveals the unknown-tag fallback behavior, which is valuable runtime context.

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 dense but every sentence earns its place: purpose, pagination details, usage routing, and edge-case behavior. It is front-loaded with the core action and scoping definition.

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?

Given the pagination complexity, output schema, sibling tools, and annotations, the description covers everything needed to call the tool correctly: default/max limits, cursor semantics, unknown-tag behavior, and alternatives.

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 the baseline is 3, but the description adds meaningful semantics: cursor behavior, response budget implications, and the unknown-tag behavior. This enriches the tag and cursor parameters beyond their schema definitions.

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 states a specific verb and resource: 'List the knowledge objects carrying a tag,' and clarifies that topics are content-backed tags. It also explicitly distinguishes this tool from search and get_overview, making its purpose unmistakable.

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?

The description gives explicit when-to-use guidance: 'Use this to browse a known topic; use search when you have a question rather than a tag, and get_overview to see which tags exist.' This directly routes the agent among sibling tools.

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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