List the affiliate products, with the price each had on the day it was checked. Filter by product category.
This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.
{
"id": 1,
"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"method": "tools/call",
"params": {
"arguments": {},
"name": "list_products"
}
}| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| category | No | A product category slug. |
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive, closed-world behavior, so the safety profile is fully covered. The description adds one genuinely non-obvious data semantic — the price is a point-in-time snapshot from the day the product was checked, not a current price — but says nothing about result volume, ordering, or pagination.
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?
Two short sentences, zero filler, with the core action and the most decision-relevant detail (price snapshot semantics) front-loaded ahead of the filter note.
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?
For a one-optional-param, read-only list tool with full schema coverage and annotations, the description is largely sufficient and even hints at the returned fields (product + price). The one gap is the absence of any output schema combined with no note on pagination or result limits.
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 100% and the single optional parameter carries its own type, slug pattern, and length bounds. The description only restates that the parameter filters by category, adding no syntax or behavior beyond the schema, so the baseline 3 applies.
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 and resource ("List the affiliate products") plus the returned payload (price as of the check date) and the filter dimension. It implicitly separates from get_product (single record) and list_categories, but never names a sibling, so the differentiation is left to inference.
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?
"Filter by product category" plus the optional parameter implies narrowing usage, but there is no explicit when-to-use guidance and no mention of when to prefer get_product, list_product_categories, or list_categories instead. Usage is implied rather than stated.
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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