Crawlora MCP

zdnet_author

Read-only

Fetch a ZDNet author's public profile, expertise, and one page of recent articles. Use zdnet_article for one story, zdnet_sections for section discovery, or zdnet_headlines and zdnet_news for current coverage.

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "zdnet_author"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`url`	No	Canonical zdnet.com/meet-the-team/<slug> URL; alternative to slug
`page`	No	1-based page number of the author's article list; overrides any page number in url
`slug`	No	Author slug, e.g. abeaty

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`data`	Yes	The tool result payload (shape varies per tool; see each tool's docs resource).

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed3 schema fields changedOct 7, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / page / description

Added value: +"1-based page number of the author's article list; overrides any page number in url"

addedInput schema / properties / slug / description
```
Added value: +"Author slug, e.g. abeaty"
```

addedInput schema / properties / url / description

Added value: +"Canonical zdnet.com/meet-the-team/<slug> URL; alternative to slug"

First observedOct 7, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=true, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds useful scope context ('one page of recent articles'), signaling paginated, author-scoped output. It omits auth/rate-limit details, but those are secondary here.

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?

Two sentences, zero waste, with the primary capability front-loaded ahead of the alternative-tool routing.

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?

With a full output schema and annotations covering safety, the description need only convey purpose, scope, and routing — all of which it does completely.

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%, so url, page, and slug are fully documented in the schema itself. The description adds no syntax or format meaning beyond that, so baseline 3 applies.

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?

States a specific verb (Fetch) and resource (ZDNet author's public profile, expertise, one page of recent articles), clearly distinguishing it from sibling article/section/headline tools. An agent can tell exactly what this returns 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 Guidelines5/5

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

Explicitly routes to alternatives with conditions: zdnet_article for one story, zdnet_sections for section discovery, zdnet_headlines/zdnet_news for current coverage. This is textbook when-to-use guidance.

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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