Test robots.txt rules
test_robots_txtFetch the robots.txt for a site and test whether a user agent may fetch a given path.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| path | No | / | |
| target | Yes | ||
| userAgent | No | Googlebot |
test_robots_txtFetch the robots.txt for a site and test whether a user agent may fetch a given path.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| path | No | / | |
| target | Yes | ||
| userAgent | No | Googlebot |
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, openWorldHint=true, and destructiveHint=false, so the safety and network profile is covered. The description adds that a remote fetch occurs, which is consistent with openWorldHint, but does not disclose failure behavior when no robots.txt exists or how redirects/errors are handled.
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?
A single sentence that front-loads the fetch action and the evaluation outcome with no redundant phrasing. Nothing could be removed without losing meaning.
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?
With no output schema, the description must imply what comes back; it does not say whether the result is a boolean allow/deny, the matching rule, or the raw robots.txt body. For a three-parameter tool with zero schema documentation, this leaves meaningful gaps an agent cannot resolve elsewhere.
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 description coverage is 0%, so the description must carry the load; it implicitly maps all three parameters to concepts ('for a site' = target, 'a user agent' = userAgent, 'a given path' = path). It stops short of specifying accepted target format (hostname vs URL) or the default Googlebot user agent, so a small gap remains.
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?
The description states a specific compound action: fetch the robots.txt for a site and evaluate whether a user agent may fetch a path. Verb and resource are unambiguous, and no sibling tool covers robots.txt, so there is no ambiguity in selection.
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?
Usage is implied by the sentence – an agent knows to call it when it needs to check robots.txt permissions – but there is no explicit when-to-use guidance, no prerequisites, and no mention of alternatives such as check_security_txt or validate_sitemap, which agents might plausibly confuse with crawler-policy checks.
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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