web-searchPerforms ranked web searches using Desearch, returning titles, links, and snippets for a query. Supports pagination via start parameter.
SERP-style web search using Desearch. Returns ranked titles, links, and snippets.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| query | Yes | Search query, example: 'latest news on AI' | |
| start | No | How many results to skip for pagination (0, 10, 20, ...). Omit for the first page. |
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
v0.1.2Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, openWorldHint=true, and destructiveHint=false, so the safety and open-world profile is covered structurally. The description adds useful return-shape context ('ranked titles, links, and snippets') that annotations do not convey, but says nothing about rate limits, result caps, or pagination behavior beyond what the schema hints.
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 compact sentences, zero filler, with the core purpose front-loaded before the return-format detail. Nothing is padded or redundant.
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 two-parameter, annotated, read-only search tool the description covers what it does and what it returns; the absence of an output schema makes the return-shape sentence valuable. It stops short of routing guidance relative to the many search siblings, which is the one real completeness 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?
Schema description coverage is 100% and both parameters are documented there, including the pagination semantics of 'start', so the description adds no parameter-level meaning. Baseline 3 is appropriate when the schema carries the full burden.
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 ('SERP-style web search') plus the backend ('Desearch') and the returned artifact (ranked titles, links, snippets). However it never distinguishes itself from siblings like ai-search, web-links-search, or extract, so an agent cannot tell which search entry point to choose without inferring.
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?
No when-to-use guidance at all. With three closely related siblings (ai-search, web-links-search, x-search) the description gives no condition or exclusion that would route an agent to this tool over an alternative; the only hint is the implicit 'general web query' framing of 'SERP-style'.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.