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Discover Tools

discover_tools
Read-onlyIdempotent

Find tools by describing the data or task. Use when you need to browse, search, look up, or discover what tools exist for: SEC filings, financials, revenue, profit, FDA drugs, adverse events, FRED economic data, Census demographics, BLS jobs/unemployment/inflation, ATTOM real estate, ClinicalTrials, USPTO patents, weather, news, crypto, stocks. Returns the top-N most relevant tools with names, descriptions, and full input schemas (with curated examples) — each result is ready to call directly, no second schema lookup needed. Call this FIRST when you have many tools available and want to see the option set (not just one answer).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
qNoAlias for query.
taskNoAlias for query.
limitNoMaximum number of tools to return (default 20, max 50)
queryYesNatural language description of what you want to do (e.g., "analyze housing market trends", "look up FDA drug approvals", "find trade data between countries"). Accepts task, q, description, search as aliases.
searchNoAlias for query.
descriptionNoAlias for query.

Schema Changelog

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

  1. Changed5 schema fields changed
    • addedInput schema / properties / description
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Alias for query.",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / q
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Alias for query.",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • changedInput schema / properties / query / description
      Previous value: -"Natural language description of what you want to do (e.g., \"analyze housing market trends\", \"look up FDA drug approvals\", \"find trade data between countries\")"New value: +"Natural language description of what you want to do (e.g., \"analyze housing market trends\", \"look up FDA drug approvals\", \"find trade data between countries\"). Accepts task, q, description, search as aliases."
    • addedInput schema / properties / search
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Alias for query.",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
    • addedInput schema / properties / task
      Added value: +{
      +  "description": "Alias for query.",
      +  "type": "string"
      +}
  2. Changed1 schema field changed
    • addedInput schema / examples
      Added value: +[
      +  {
      +    "query": "look up FDA drug approvals"
      +  },
      +  {
      +    "query": "analyze housing market trends"
      +  }
      +]
  3. Added

TDQS

A4.3/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

With annotations already declaring readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, and destructiveHint=false, the description adds meaningful behavioral context: it returns top-N tools, includes full input schemas with curated examples, and states the results are directly callable without a second schema lookup. This goes beyond the annotations and helps the agent understand the result format.

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?

Three sentences with front-loaded purpose, a useful domain list, and clear return behavior. Every sentence earns its place, and the structure makes the tool easy to scan. No redundancy with the schema or annotations.

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?

Despite having no output schema, the description fully explains what the tool returns (top-N tools with names, descriptions, schemas, examples) and why it should be used first. Given the large sibling toolset, this context is sufficient for an agent to select and invoke the 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?

Schema coverage is 100% and all properties are described, so the baseline is 3. The description reinforces that 'query' is a natural-language task description, which aligns with the schema, but it does not add new parameter-level detail beyond what the schema already provides. This meets the baseline without exceeding it.

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 opens with a specific verb+resource ('Find tools by describing the data or task') and enumerates a broad set of domains, making the tool's role clear. It distinguishes itself from the domain-specific siblings by positioning discover_tools as a meta-tool for finding other tools. This is far beyond a tautology.

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?

The description explicitly states when to use the tool ('Use when you need to browse, search, look up, or discover what tools exist') and adds a strong directive ('Call this FIRST when you have many tools available'). It does not explicitly name alternatives or say when not to use it, but the usage context is unmistakable.

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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