HelpCenter.io

Delete HelpCenter Category

helpcenter_delete_category

Destructive

Delete a category from the HelpCenter.io help center bound to your API key.

DESTRUCTIVE. The category is removed and its contents are moved somewhere else. Fails closed by default: a category holding articles or sub-categories answers 409 unless you say explicitly where its contents should go.

Args:

category_id (number, required): id of the category to delete.
on_orphan ('refuse' | 'uncategorize' | 'reparent', optional): default 'refuse'.
- refuse — 409 if the category is not empty. Read the response's articles_count / children_count, then choose.
- uncategorize — articles fall back to Uncategorized; sub-categories become top-level.
- reparent — articles and sub-categories both move up to this category's own parent. With no parent this is the same as uncategorize.

Returns: { status: "success", on_orphan, articles_moved, children_moved, moved_to }.

Articles are never deleted by this tool, only re-filed. An article that belonged to several categories keeps the others.

Errors: 403 if the key is read-scoped; 404 if the category is not in this help center; 409 when it is not empty and on_orphan was left at 'refuse'.

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": {
      "category_id": "<category_id>"
    },
    "name": "helpcenter_delete_category"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`site_id`	No	Which 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.
`on_orphan`	No	What happens to the articles and sub-categories inside. 'refuse' (default) fails with 409 if the category is not empty; 'uncategorize' sends articles to Uncategorized and lifts children to top level; 'reparent' moves both up to this category's own parent.
`category_id`	Yes	Id of the category to delete.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedNov 4, 2026

TDQS

A4.7/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

Annotations already declare destructiveHint=true and idempotentHint=false, but the description adds substantial context beyond them: contents are moved rather than destroyed, the tool fails closed with a 409 on non-empty categories, 403 for read-scoped keys, 404 for out-of-scope ids, and the side-effect for articles in multiple categories. This is exactly the behavioral detail a mutation tool needs.

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 operation and the DESTRUCTIVE warning, then structured sections for args, returns, and errors. Every line carries information the agent needs — notably the Returns block, which substitutes for the absent output schema.

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 destructive 3-parameter tool with no output schema, the description covers the mutation's scope, its failure modes, the return shape, and the safety default. The only gap, site_id, is fully documented in the schema itself.

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 baseline is 3, but the description earns more by spelling out the practical consequence of each on_orphan value (fall back to Uncategorized vs. move to the category's own parent, and the no-parent equivalence) plus a workflow hint for choosing. It omits site_id from the Args list, though the schema documents that parameter fully.

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 opening sentence gives a specific verb (delete) and resource (category) scoped to 'the HelpCenter.io help center bound to your API key', which separates it cleanly from helpcenter_delete_article, helpcenter_delete_faq_section, and helpcenter_update_category. An agent can identify the operation without opening the schema.

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 tells the agent when the call will fail and how to proceed ('Read the response's articles_count / children_count, then choose'), and implicitly routes article deletion elsewhere ('Articles are never deleted by this tool, only re-filed'). It never names a sibling alternative explicitly, so it stops just short of full when-to-use routing.

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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