is_valid_ip_address
Validates whether a string is a properly formatted IPv4 address with four octets (0-255) separated by dots. (cost: 1 credit)
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| ip | No | string, required, the IP address string to validate |
Validates whether a string is a properly formatted IPv4 address with four octets (0-255) separated by dots. (cost: 1 credit)
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| ip | No | string, required, the IP address string to validate |
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, and destructiveHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds real behavioral context beyond that: the precise IPv4 acceptance rule (four octets, 0-255) and a per-call cost of 1 credit. It still does not say what is returned (a boolean) or how IPv6 input is handled.
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?
A single front-loaded sentence states the operation and its acceptance criteria, with the credit cost appended as a compact parenthetical. Nothing is wasted and no re-reading is required.
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 one-parameter predicate with no output schema and full annotation coverage, the description supplies everything needed to call it correctly. The remaining gap is the return value contract (presumably a boolean), which the description leaves implicit.
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% and there is a single, self-explanatory 'ip' parameter, so the schema carries the parameter documentation burden. The description reinforces the expected format (dotted-quad IPv4) but adds no syntax examples or edge-case rules (leading zeros, whitespace) beyond what the schema implies.
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 verb ('Validates') and resource ('a string ... IPv4 address') and pins down the exact rule set: four dot-separated octets in the 0-255 range. An agent can tell this apart from lookup-oriented siblings like ip_lookup. It stops short of naming those siblings explicitly, so differentiation is inferred rather than stated.
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?
Usage is implied by the word 'validate' plus the IPv4 constraint, but there is no explicit when-to-use / when-not-to-use guidance and no mention of the closest alternative, ip_lookup, which would be the wrong choice for pure format checking. An agent must infer that this tool does not resolve, geolocate, or accept IPv6.
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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