preflight
Free URL safety and reachability check.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| url | Yes |
Free URL safety and reachability check.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| url | Yes |
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full disclosure burden, and it discloses almost nothing beyond 'free' — no auth requirements, no explanation of what makes a URL unsafe, no behavior on failure, and no rate limits. Calling something a safety check without saying what it inspects or returns leaves real ambiguity.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
One front-loaded sentence with no filler; the core action leads. It is efficient, though the terseness edges toward under-specification rather than tightness.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
For a simple one-parameter tool with no output schema, the description still omits what a 'safety' verdict consists of and what the caller gets back, which is the main thing an agent needs to decide whether to gate a downstream action on the result.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema description coverage is 0% for the single required url parameter, and the description only says a URL is checked. It does not clarify expected form (absolute? scheme? relative paths rejected?), which matters because the schema only declares format: uri with no prose.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description gives a concrete verb-plus-resource framing: it checks a URL for safety and reachability. That is enough for an agent to know what it does, but it never distinguishes itself from the sibling payment_preflight, which sounds nearly identical in kind.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
There is no statement of when to call this versus payment_preflight, verify, or the other siblings, and no prerequisites (e.g., authenticate first, call before payment). The agent is left to infer the workflow position of a 'preflight' entirely from the name.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.