A read-only MCP server from NeedATicket with one tool, search_ticket_prices. It returns live "from" prices for upcoming concerts, sport, theatre and festivals, checked hourly from StubHub listings, and can filter by artist, team, venue, city, dates and maximum price, or sort by cheapest, soonest or biggest price drop. Every result links to the event's page, which shows the price history, other dates and where to buy.
UK edition (prices in GBP): https://needaticket.co.uk/mcp
Scored across 1 tool
There is only one tool, so there is no ambiguity or risk of selecting the wrong tool. Its purpose is clearly stated as searching live ticket prices.
With a single tool, the name search_ticket_prices follows a clear verb_noun-style pattern and is readable and predictable. There are no inconsistent conventions to compare against.
A single tool is defensible for a narrow ticket-price search service, but it feels thin for a server meant to answer varied event-price questions. One tool can work, but it leaves little surface for refreshing, filtering, or retrieving specific event details separately.
The core operation for a ticket-price service is present: searching live from-prices with links to event pages. Minor gaps remain, such as a dedicated event-detail or explicit refresh operation, but the linked event pages provide a workaround.
Live "from" prices for upcoming concerts, sport, theatre and festivals, checked hourly from StubHub listings by NeedATicket.co.uk. Prices are per ticket in GBP before the seller's fees. Use it for questions like "cheapest Oasis tickets", "what's on in Manchester next weekend" or "how much are Metallica Sphere tickets". Every result links to the event's page on NeedATicket.co.uk, which shows the current price, other dates and where to buy. An event page's price can be refreshed live on demand; priceCheckedAt says when it was last read.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| to | No | Last event date to include, YYYY-MM-DD. | |
| from | No | First event date to include, YYYY-MM-DD (the event's local date). | |
| sort | No | price = cheapest first; soon = soonest first; drop = biggest 7-day price fall; low = furthest below its usual price. | |
| limit | No | Results to return (default 10). | |
| query | No | Artist, team, show or venue name. Part of a word is fine. | |
| anywhere | No | Include events in every country, not only this site's home country. Default true when a query is given; a city with no events at home is also looked for abroad. | |
| max_price | No | Highest "from" price per ticket, in GBP. | |
| event_city | No | Only events held in this town or city, as named in the question, e.g. "london", "las-vegas". Not the user's own location. |
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already cover read-only/idempotent/non-destructive, and the description adds substantive context beyond them: prices are refreshed hourly, are per ticket in GBP, exclude seller fees, results link out to the event page, and priceCheckedAt records last-read time. That freshness and price-semantics disclosure is exactly what an agent needs to avoid misrepresenting the numbers.
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?
Purpose and data provenance are front-loaded, followed by usage examples and return/link behavior. The final two sentences are slightly verbose but each carries real information (link destination, live refresh, priceCheckedAt), so nothing is wasted.
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?
With no output schema, the description responsibly covers the return side (per-result link to the event page, priceCheckedAt field) and the freshness contract. Combined with a fully documented schema and safety annotations, an agent has everything needed to call and interpret it.
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 100%, so all eight parameters (including sort enum values and the anywhere default rule) are already documented in the schema. The description only loosely gestures at query/city/date through example questions and adds no syntax or format detail beyond it — baseline 3 applies.
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?
States a specific resource (live "from" ticket prices) with explicit scope: upcoming concerts, sport, theatre and festivals, sourced from StubHub and checked hourly. An agent knows exactly what data this returns and at what granularity (per ticket, GBP, pre-fees).
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?
Gives three concrete example questions ("cheapest Oasis tickets", "what's on in Manchester next weekend", "how much are Metallica Sphere tickets") that map cleanly onto the query/city/date parameters, making the intended use case obvious. It stops short of stating when NOT to use it or naming alternatives, but there are no sibling tools to route away from.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
search_ticket_prices
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