Retrieve the public Irish Times section inventory to find available sections for headline retrieval.
Get Irish Times sections. Returns the public Irish Times section inventory used by the headlines endpoint.
| 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 burden of behavioral disclosure. 'Get' and 'returns' imply a read-only operation, and 'public' suggests no credentials are needed, but the description offers no detail on pagination, response shape, or whether the inventory is cached or live. It is adequate but not rich.
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?
The description is two short sentences with no filler. The first sentence states the action and resource, and the second adds useful behavioral context about the returned inventory and its relationship to the headlines endpoint.
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?
Given the tool's low complexity (no parameters, no output schema, no annotations), the description is mostly complete for invocation purposes. It could go further by hinting at the output structure, but for a simple section-inventory endpoint, the provided context is sufficient.
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 has zero parameters, so there are no parameter semantics to clarify. The baseline of 4 applies because the description does not need to compensate for any undocumented inputs.
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 clearly identifies the resource ('Irish Times sections') and the verb ('Get'), and adds context by defining the return value as 'the public Irish Times section inventory used by the headlines endpoint.' It is clear enough to distinguish from sibling tools like irishtimes_headlines and irishtimes_article, though it does not explicitly name them.
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 phrase 'used by the headlines endpoint' implies this tool is appropriate when an agent needs the section inventory, likely to feed into irishtimes_headlines. However, the description does not explicitly state when to prefer this tool over alternatives or mention exclusions.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.