Extract an ABC News author profile from a canonical URL, returning name, job title or biography, and social links.
Get an ABC News author profile. Returns an ABC News author's profile: name, job title/biography when the page carries one, and social links, from a canonical author URL. Does not include a list of the author's recent articles.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| url | Yes | Canonical ABC News author URL |
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
v1.17.5Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
With no annotations, the description carries the full burden and does disclose the returned content (name, job title/biography when the page carries one, social links) plus the negative scope (no article list). It does not mention behavior for non-author or malformed URLs, but for a benign read-only profile fetch the disclosure is solid.
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?
Three short sentences, front-loaded with the action, followed by returns and exclusions. Slight redundancy in restating 'ABC News author profile' twice, but no wasted content.
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?
There is no output schema, and the description compensates by enumerating the returned fields and clarifying scope. With a single fully documented parameter and no annotations, an agent has everything needed to call it correctly.
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 the single url parameter is documented as the canonical author URL. The description restates that requirement but adds no syntax, format, or example detail beyond the schema, so 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 verb (Get) plus resource (an ABC News author profile) and enumerates the returned fields. It also explicitly distinguishes itself from article-fetching siblings by declaring it does not include the author's recent articles.
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?
Tells the agent the input must be a canonical ABC News author URL and rules out the article-listing use case, which is clear context for when to pick this tool. It stops short of naming a specific alternative sibling (e.g., abcnews_article) for retrieving the author's articles.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.