Fetch Channel NewsAsia headline stories without input, returning titles, canonical URLs, summaries, authors, publication times, and images for quick news monitoring.
Get CNA top stories. Returns the latest CNA (Channel NewsAsia) top stories, with no input needed. Each item has a title and canonical URL, and may also carry a summary, author, publication time and image.
| 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?
With no annotations, the description carries the full behavioral burden. It does disclose that no input is required and enumerates the returned fields (title, canonical URL, and optional summary/author/time/image), which is genuinely useful given there is no output schema. It stops short of stating result count, pagination, or freshness, so the disclosure is partial.
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 verb and resource, then the return shape. No filler and every clause carries information.
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 no-parameter, no-annotation, no-output-schema tool, the description does most of the work by naming the resource and its return fields. The main remaining gap is the absence of any count, ordering, or freshness expectation, but overall it is adequate to call the tool 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?
The tool takes zero parameters, which is the baseline-4 case; there is nothing for the description to clarify about argument semantics. The 'no input needed' note is consistent with the empty schema.
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 states a specific verb and resource ('Get CNA top stories') and explains the scope, so an agent immediately knows it yields CNA's front-page stories. It does not, however, distinguish this from close siblings like cna_headlines, cna_article, or cna_sections, leaving the agent to infer the difference.
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?
'With no input needed' implies this is the zero-argument entry point for CNA content, which signals when it is usable. There is no explicit when-to-use guidance nor any mention of when to prefer cna_headlines or cna_article instead, so usage is only implied.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.