Lists the ten CBS News sections accepted by cbsnews-headlines, including each slug, display name, and feed URL.
Get CBS News sections. Lists the ten CBS News sections accepted by cbsnews-headlines: main, us, world, politics, moneywatch, health, entertainment, science, technology and space. Each has a slug, a display name and the feed url.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
No arguments | |||
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
v1.17.5Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
No annotations are provided, so the description carries the burden. It is a trivially safe read-only lookup and the description discloses the shape of each returned item (slug, name, feed url), but it says nothing about whether the list is static, whether all ten are always returned, or any auth/rate-limit behavior.
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?
Two sentences, front-loaded with the purpose, followed by the concrete return contents. No filler and no repetition of the title.
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 usefully documents the returned fields (slug, name, url) and the accepted section values. It is complete for a no-parameter lookup, though it could note whether the list is exhaustive or changes over time.
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?
The tool takes zero parameters, so the baseline is 4. The description's enumeration of the section slugs is effectively documentation of the value space an agent needs elsewhere, which is a bonus rather than a gap.
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 and resource ('Get CBS News sections') and then enumerates exactly what the resource contains (ten named sections with slug, name, url). It also ties the result to the sibling cbsnews_headlines tool, so an agent can distinguish this lookup from the headline-fetching tool.
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?
The reference to `cbsnews-headlines` makes the purpose clear: this tool resolves the valid section values that the headlines tool accepts. It does not explicitly say 'call this before cbsnews_headlines' or name any exclusions, but the usage context is strongly implied.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.