Surface AI

Update a surface

surface_update

DestructiveIdempotent

Change a surface's name, description, status, page URL or location; fields you leave out are unchanged. Returns the updated surface. ARCHIVED stops it serving; making it ACTIVE again counts toward the plan's surface limit. To change content, use the variant_ tools; to add a surface, surface_setup.

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": {
      "surface_id": "<surface_id>"
    },
    "name": "surface_update"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`name`	No	Unique within the organization.
`status`	No	ACTIVE serves variants; ARCHIVED stops serving.
`location`	No	Serving region.
`page_url`	No	The live URL of the page.
`surface_id`	Yes	The surface id, from surface_list.
`description`	No	Note shown in the dashboard.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed8 schema fields changedNov 12, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / description / description
```
Added value: +"Note shown in the dashboard."
```
removedInput schema / properties / edge_route
```
Removed value: -{
-  "type": "string"
-}
```
addedInput schema / properties / location / description
```
Added value: +"Serving region."
```
addedInput schema / properties / name / description
```
Added value: +"Unique within the organization."
```
addedInput schema / properties / page_url / description
```
Added value: +"The live URL of the page."
```

removedInput schema / properties / paradigm

Removed value: -{
-  "enum": [
-    "RANKING",
-    "VARIANT_SELECTION"
-  ],
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedInput schema / properties / status / description

Added value: +"ACTIVE serves variants; ARCHIVED stops serving."

changedInput schema / properties / surface_id / description

Previous value: -"The surface id."New value: +"The surface id, from surface_list."

First observedNov 11, 2026

TDQS

A4.7/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Goes meaningfully beyond the annotations by disclosing partial-update semantics ('fields you leave out are unchanged'), the return value (the updated surface), and the real consequence of ARCHIVED (stops serving) plus the plan-limit cost of reactivation — which explains the destructive hint. It stops short of mentioning permission requirements or whether changes are revertible.

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?

Four short clauses, front-loaded with the field list, followed by the update semantics, side effects, and sibling routing. No filler and no repetition that burdens the reader.

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 single-record mutation with fully documented parameters and no output schema, everything needed is present: partial-update semantics, side effects, return value, and alternatives. Nothing an agent needs to call this correctly is missing.

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 description coverage is already 100%, so baseline is 3; the description earns the extra point by adding behavior the schema cannot express — that omitted fields are preserved rather than nulled. The ARCHIVED/ACTIVE status meaning is also restated with plan-limit implications, though it partly duplicates the enum description.

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?

Names the exact resource (a surface) and enumerates the mutable fields (name, description, status, page URL, location), so the agent knows precisely what class of change this tool performs. It also explicitly distinguishes itself from surface_setup (creation) and the variant_ tools (content), which resolves sibling ambiguity 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?

Provides explicit routing: use variant_ tools to change content and surface_setup to add a surface. It also gives the operational caveat that reactivating a surface as ACTIVE counts toward the plan's surface limit, which is exactly the kind of condition an agent needs before calling.

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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