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Ensembl

by io.github.pipeworx-io

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Idempotent

Create a proactive monitoring subscription to a live-data event stream. Returns the new subscription id. Requires a Pipeworx OAuth account (anonymous + BYO cannot persist subscriptions). Supported types: "sec_8k" (8-K filings matching ticker + item codes — e.g. items:["5.02"] = officer change), "polymarket_edge" (Polymarket↔Kalshi cross-venue mispricings — params:{topic:"fed"}), "fred_series" (new FRED observations — params:{series_id:"UNRATE"}). Delivery channels: feed (always on — pull via recent_alerts or GET registry.pipeworx.io/alerts.json), and optionally email (set delivery:{email:"you@x.com"}) or sms (delivery:{sms:"+15551234567"} — phone must be verified at /account first; 10/day cap).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
typeYesSubscription type.
paramsYesType-specific filter. sec_8k: {ticker:"AAPL", items?:["5.02","1.01"]}. polymarket_edge: {topic:"fed", min_spread_bps?:500}. fred_series: {series_id:"UNRATE"}. patent_grant: {applicant:"Apple Inc."}. clinical_trial: {sponsor?:"Pfizer", condition?:"lung cancer", phase?:"PHASE3"} (sponsor or condition required).
deliveryNoOptional delivery channels in addition to the always-on persistent feed. {email:"you@x.com"} sends a templated alert per fired event. {sms:"+15551234567"} sends an SMS per event — must match the verified phone on the caller's account (verify at https://pipeworx.io/account first; 10/day cap). {webhook:"https://..."} POSTs each event JSON to your endpoint, HMAC-signed — the response includes delivery.webhook_secret (whsec_…) ONCE; verify X-Pipeworx-Signature = sha256 HMAC of "<X-Pipeworx-Timestamp>.<raw body>". Auto-disabled after 10 consecutive failing runs.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

  1. Changed2 schema fields changed
    • changedInput schema / properties / delivery / description
      Previous value: -"Optional delivery channels in addition to the always-on persistent feed. {email:\"you@x.com\"} sends a templated alert per fired event. {sms:\"+15551234567\"} sends an SMS per event — must match the verified phone on the caller's account (verify at https://pipeworx.io/account first). Capped at 10 SMS/day per subscription."New value: +"Optional delivery channels in addition to the always-on persistent feed. {email:\"you@x.com\"} sends a templated alert per fired event. {sms:\"+15551234567\"} sends an SMS per event — must match the verified phone on the caller's account (verify at https://pipeworx.io/account first; 10/day cap). {webhook:\"https://...\"} POSTs each event JSON to your endpoint, HMAC-signed — the response includes delivery.webhook_secret (whsec_…) ONCE; verify X-Pipeworx-Signature = sha256 HMAC of \"<X-Pipeworx-Timestamp>.<raw body>\". Auto-disabled after 10 consecutive failing runs."
    • addedInput schema / properties / delivery / properties / webhook
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "HTTPS URL to POST fired events to. https only; localhost/private hosts rejected. Signing secret returned once at subscribe time.",
+  "type": "string"
+}
  2. Changed2 schema fields changed
    • changedInput schema / properties / params / description
      Previous value: -"Type-specific filter. sec_8k: {ticker:\"AAPL\", items?:[\"5.02\",\"1.01\"]}. polymarket_edge: {topic:\"fed\", min_spread_bps?:500}. fred_series: {series_id:\"UNRATE\"}. patent_grant: {applicant:\"Apple Inc.\"} (use exact corporate form — match is approximate so wrong suffix returns the whole pool; payload flags the case)."New value: +"Type-specific filter. sec_8k: {ticker:\"AAPL\", items?:[\"5.02\",\"1.01\"]}. polymarket_edge: {topic:\"fed\", min_spread_bps?:500}. fred_series: {series_id:\"UNRATE\"}. patent_grant: {applicant:\"Apple Inc.\"}. clinical_trial: {sponsor?:\"Pfizer\", condition?:\"lung cancer\", phase?:\"PHASE3\"} (sponsor or condition required)."
    • changedInput schema / properties / type / enum
      Previous value: -[
-  "sec_8k",
-  "polymarket_edge",
-  "fred_series",
-  "patent_grant"
-]New value: +[
+  "sec_8k",
+  "polymarket_edge",
+  "fred_series",
+  "patent_grant",
+  "clinical_trial"
+]
  3. Changed3 schema fields changed
    • changedInput schema / properties / params / description
      Previous value: -"Type-specific filter. For sec_8k: {ticker:\"AAPL\", items?:[\"5.02\",\"1.01\"]}. items defaults to all if omitted."New value: +"Type-specific filter. sec_8k: {ticker:\"AAPL\", items?:[\"5.02\",\"1.01\"]}. polymarket_edge: {topic:\"fed\", min_spread_bps?:500}. fred_series: {series_id:\"UNRATE\"}. patent_grant: {applicant:\"Apple Inc.\"} (use exact corporate form — match is approximate so wrong suffix returns the whole pool; payload flags the case)."
    • changedInput schema / properties / type / description
      Previous value: -"Subscription type. v1: \"sec_8k\"."New value: +"Subscription type."
    • changedInput schema / properties / type / enum
      Previous value: -[
-  "sec_8k"
-]New value: +[
+  "sec_8k",
+  "polymarket_edge",
+  "fred_series",
+  "patent_grant"
+]
  4. Changed1 schema field changed
    • addedInput schema / properties / delivery
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional delivery channels in addition to the always-on persistent feed. {email:\"you@x.com\"} sends a templated alert per fired event. {sms:\"+15551234567\"} sends an SMS per event — must match the verified phone on the caller's account (verify at https://pipeworx.io/account first). Capped at 10 SMS/day per subscription.",
+  "properties": {
+    "email": {
+      "description": "Email address to deliver alerts to. Validated against a standard pattern.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "sms": {
+      "description": "E.164 phone number, e.g. \"+15551234567\". Must match the account's verified phone.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}
  5. Added

TDQS

A4.5/5.0
Behavior5/5

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

The description adds significant behavioral context beyond the annotations: account requirements, the always-on feed, phone verification and SMS caps, the one-time webhook secret return, and auto-disable after 10 failures. These details are relevant to how the subscription behaves after creation, and there is no contradiction with the annotations.

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?

The description is long but front-loaded with the core purpose and return value in the first sentence. The length is justified by the tool's complexity—five subscription types and three delivery channels—and every sentence contributes either constraints or examples, though it could still be tightened.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the complex nested schema and no output schema, the description does a good job covering return values (subscription id, one-time webhook secret), account prerequisites, delivery mechanics, and failure behavior. It is nearly complete, with only minor details like explicit idempotency semantics left to the annotations.

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?

The input schema already describes all parameters in detail with type-specific schemas, so the baseline contribution is high. The description supplements this with concrete and clarifying examples (e.g., items:['5.02'], topic:'fed', series_id:'UNRATE') and delivery constraints like phone verification, which adds practical meaning beyond the schema.

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 clearly states 'Create a proactive monitoring subscription to a live-data event stream' and mentions it returns the new subscription id. This distinguishes it from sibling tools like list_subscriptions and unsubscribe by focusing on the creation action and its output.

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?

It provides explicit context for when this tool should be used, including the requirement for a Pipeworx OAuth account and the note that anonymous/BYO cannot persist subscriptions. It also gives per-type usage examples, but it does not explicitly name alternative tools or contrast with them.

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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TDQS

A3.6/5.0
Disambiguation2/5

Multiple tool families heavily overlap: ask_pipeworx, ask_pipeworx_beta (explicitly identical), ask_pipeworx_grounded, deep_research, and validate_claim all answer natural-language questions, while polymarket_arbitrage, polymarket_edges, polymarket_edge_tracker, polymarket_fill_risk, polymarket_kalshi_spread, and bet_research all analyze prediction markets. An agent would struggle to pick the correct tool without reading very long descriptions.

Naming Consistency3/5

All names are snake_case and readable, but the style is inconsistent: some are bare nouns (sequence, variation, homology), some are single verbs (lookup, recall, forget), and others are long descriptive phrases (scan_competitor_ai_presence, polymarket_kalshi_spread). There is no consistent verb_noun or resource_noun pattern across the set.

Tool Count2/5

38 tools is excessive for a coherent server, and nearly all of them are unrelated to the server's stated name ('Ensembl') — only about 7 tools (lookup, lookup_symbol, sequence, variation, vep, xrefs, homology) actually belong to the Ensembl domain. The rest form several unrelated clusters (Pipeworx data queries, prediction markets, memory, subscriptions), making the tool count feel bloated and unfocused.

Completeness2/5

For an Ensembl server, the surface is thin: it covers ID lookup, sequence retrieval, variants, VEP, xrefs, and homology, but omits other core Ensembl functionality such as gene trees, alignments, regulation, expression, and assembly data. Meanwhile the many non-Ensembl tools don't form a complete domain of their own — they are a grab bag of unrelated utilities.

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