Retrieve current top stories from The Daily Beast's public RSS feed. Returns clean JSON headlines for news tracking, aggregation, or analysis.
Get The Daily Beast top stories. Returns fresh The Daily Beast stories from the public outbound RSS feed.
| 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?
The description adds useful behavioral context by noting that stories are 'fresh' and sourced from a 'public outbound RSS feed,' implying a read-only operation with no auth. However, it does not disclose result count, ordering, pagination, or maximum returned items, and with no annotations the description carries the full burden.
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, front-loaded with the core action and then expanding with the source detail. There is no wasted or redundant phrasing.
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 feed tool, the description states what is returned (top stories) and where they come from (public RSS feed), which is enough for a basic invocation. Since there is no output schema, it could be more explicit about the shape or fields of the returned stories, but this is a minor gap.
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 input schema has zero parameters, so there is nothing for the description to explain beyond the schema. The baseline of 4 is appropriate because no parameter semantics are missing.
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 action ('Get') and resource ('The Daily Beast top stories'), and adds a source detail ('public outbound RSS feed'). However, it does not explicitly distinguish this tool from sibling tools like thedailybeast_headlines or thedailybeast_sections.
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 description offers no guidance on when to use this tool versus the many sibling news tools. It does not mention alternatives such as thedailybeast_article, thedailybeast_headlines, or thedailybeast_sections, nor does it state any exclusions or selection criteria.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.