Fetch current NPR site-wide headlines as structured JSON, including title, URL, summary, publication time, and author when available.
Get NPR site-wide headlines. Returns the current NPR headlines across the site, with no parameters and no section filter. Each item has a title, canonical URL, summary, publication time and author when one is given.
| 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 full burden. It discloses the item shape (title, canonical URL, summary, publication time, author when given), which is real value, but says nothing about pagination, result count, caching, or rate limits.
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 core action. The second sentence partially restates the first ('current NPR headlines across the site'), a minor redundancy, but the rest is efficient.
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 parameterless read tool with no output schema, the description compensates by enumerating the returned fields, which is exactly what an agent needs. Only pagination/volume behavior is left unaddressed.
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?
Zero parameters, so there is nothing for the description to explain beyond confirming that it takes none, which it does explicitly. Baseline 4 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 and resource ('Get NPR site-wide headlines') and clarifies scope as site-wide with no section filter. It does not name its near siblings npr_topic, npr_article, or npr_categories, so an agent gets the purpose but not a sharp distinction from 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 'no parameters and no section filter' implicitly signals when this tool is appropriate (unfiltered, site-wide browsing) and contrasts with scoped alternatives, but no alternative tool is named and there is no explicit when-not guidance.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.