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Add Components to the Design

helpcenter_add_template_components

Add components to pages of the draft: a Hero, a CategoryGrid, FeaturedArticles, Faqs, RichText, a CustomHtml block, a Container…

It edits the help center's design DRAFT (its v2 template): the draft the dashboard's Template Editor opens, with a live preview. Nothing reaches visitors until helpcenter_publish_template — after editing, give the customer the Template Editor link from the result to review, and publish only when they ask. v2 help centers only (a classic one answers template_migration_required). Ids come from helpcenter_get_template.

Each entry names a component type and where it goes: a page and region (header, hero, sidebar, main, footer, utility) at an index (omit to append), or parent_id to put it inside a Hero or Container. Look the type's settings up first (helpcenter_get_template_guide, topic 'components'): omitted settings keep their defaults, and a value outside the editor's options is refused. A new Hero comes with a SearchBar child. To build a container and its children in one call, give the container an id of your own and name it as parent_id in the later entries.

Placement: a banner across the top of a page goes at index 0 of the hero region (a full-bleed CustomHtml) or the top of main — not the header, which themes lay out as one fixed row. A region the outline marks "laid out by custom CSS" arranges what you add the theme's way. header and footer are usually synced (one copy on every page); adding to a synced region whose pages differ is refused until you choose with helpcenter_sync_template_region. This is the guide's add_component operation.

Args:

  • components (array, 1-50): {type, page?, region?, parent_id?, config?, index?, id?}.

  • etag (string, optional): from your last read or edit; refuses (stale_draft) if the draft changed since.

Returns: what each entry did (new ids), warnings worth relaying, and the draft status with its new etag.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "components": "<components>"
    },
    "name": "helpcenter_add_template_components"
  }
}

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
etagNoOptimistic lock: the draft etag from your last read, or the one your last edit returned. When given, the call is refused (stale_draft) if someone changed the draft since — so you never build on a state you have not seen. Omit to apply to the current draft.
site_idNoWhich help center to act on: an id from helpcenter_list_sites. Needed when this connection reaches more than one help center; omit it when it reaches one. Applies to this call only — pass it on every call of a task, and ask the user which help center they mean if their request does not say.
componentsYesThe components to add. Applied in order, all-or-nothing: if one is refused, nothing from this call is saved and the error names it by position (operation 0 is the first entry).

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. First observed

TDQS

A4.9/5.0
Behavior5/5

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

Annotations only declare the generic write profile; the description adds the substantive behavior: edits are draft-only and invisible to visitors until publish, classic sites return template_migration_required, etag mismatches return stale_draft, out-of-range config values are refused, synced regions with differing pages are refused, a new Hero auto-gets a SearchBar child, and the response carries new ids, warnings, and a fresh etag. These are non-obvious side effects and failure modes not covered by annotations or schema.

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?

Front-loaded with the action, then a paragraph on draft/publish semantics, then a paragraph on entry shape, then placement rules, then args and returns. Dense but every sentence carries operational content; nothing is padding, and the labeled 'Placement' and 'Args/Returns' structure makes it skimmable.

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?

For a 1-50 item nested mutation with no output schema, it covers what is missing elsewhere: return contents (new ids, warnings, draft status and etag), all-or-nothing error reporting by position, the publish gate, and the cross-page synced-region hazard. Nothing an agent needs to call this safely is absent.

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?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the schema already defines page/region enums, index append semantics, parent_id, and config. The description still adds genuine meaning: the pattern of self-assigning a container id and referring to it as parent_id in later entries of the same call, that omitted settings keep defaults and omitted config nulls reset, and where an index-0 banner actually belongs. It stops short of covering etag/site_id interplay, so not a 5.

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?

Opens with a specific verb+resource ('Add components to pages of the draft') and lists concrete component types, then names the exact operation ('add_component') and the sibling boundaries (helpcenter_publish_template, helpcenter_remove_template_components implied). An agent can distinguish this from update_template_components, move_template_components, or publish_template without opening any schema.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

Explicit prerequisites (v2 only, ids from helpcenter_get_template, look settings up in helpcenter_get_template_guide first), explicit publish policy ('publish only when they ask'), and explicit routing for the synced-region blocker (helpcenter_sync_template_region). It even gives placement guidance distinguishing header vs hero vs main, which is when-to-use guidance for the arguments themselves.

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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