Cryptocompare

News Categories

news_categories

Read-onlyIdempotent

List crypto news category tags available for filtering the news feed (BTC, ETH, Trading, Regulation, Mining, etc.). Use as a directory before calling news() with a category filter. Requires your own CoinDesk Data API key.

Example tool call

This call uses example arguments supplied in the tool’s input schema.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "_apiKey": "your-cryptocompare-api-key"
    },
    "name": "news_categories"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`_apiKey`	Yes	Your own CoinDesk Data (formerly CryptoCompare) API key — required, Pipeworx does not supply one for this pack. Free signup: https://developers.coindesk.com/. Without a key, use the `crypto` pack (get_crypto_price) for prices/daily history or `crypto-feeds` for news instead.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed3 schema fields changedOct 3, 2026

changedInput schema / examples

Previous value: -[
-  {}
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "_apiKey": "your-cryptocompare-api-key"
+  }
+]

addedInput schema / properties / _apiKey

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Your own CoinDesk Data (formerly CryptoCompare) API key — required, Pipeworx does not supply one for this pack. Free signup: https://developers.coindesk.com/. Without a key, use the `crypto` pack (get_crypto_price) for prices/daily history or `crypto-feeds` for news instead.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / required
```
Added value: +[
+  "_apiKey"
+]
```

Changed2 schema fields changedMay 22, 2026

addedInput schema / examples
```
Added value: +[
+  {}
+]
```

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "description": "Available news categories",
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedMay 20, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, idempotentHint=true and destructiveHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds a genuinely useful behavioral fact beyond the annotations: the tool requires the caller's own CoinDesk Data API key and Pipeworx does not supply one, which affects whether the call can succeed at all.

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?

Two sentences, no filler: the first defines the resource and its contents, the second gives the usage pattern and the auth prerequisite. The information is front-loaded appropriately for a small lookup tool.

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?

An output schema exists, so return values need no explanation. Purpose, sequencing relative to news(), and the auth prerequisite are all present, which is everything an agent needs to call this simple directory tool correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

There is a single parameter with 100% schema description coverage, and the schema description already carries the key requirement plus fallback alternatives. The description's 'Requires your own CoinDesk Data API key' merely restates the schema, so the baseline of 3 applies.

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?

States a specific verb and resource ('List crypto news category tags') plus concrete example values (BTC, ETH, Trading, Regulation, Mining), so the agent knows exactly what comes back. It also implicitly distinguishes itself from the sibling news/news_feeds tools by framing itself as the directory rather than the feed.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

'Use as a directory before calling news() with a category filter' names the sibling alternative and the sequencing condition, which is exactly the routing decision an agent faces. There is no explicit when-not-to-use clause, but the alternative is clear enough to avoid wrong selection.

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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