Verify the SeqCode Registry REST API is reachable before querying microbial nomenclature data, so you can detect connectivity or service issues early.
Check that the SeqCode Registry REST API is accessible.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
No arguments | |||
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
v0.1.0Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
With no annotations, the description carries the full behavioral burden. 'Check' implies a safe, side-effect-free read, but the description says nothing about authentication requirements, rate limits, or how failure is surfaced (exception vs. status flag) — significant gaps for a tool whose whole purpose is reporting a binary state.
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?
A single well-formed sentence with no filler, and the resource being checked is front-loaded after the verb. It is efficient, though bordering on under-specified rather than optimally concise.
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?
There is no output schema, so the description is the only place return semantics could live — and it omits them. An agent cannot tell whether a successful check yields a boolean, a status code, or a descriptive payload, nor what an unreachable API produces.
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, so the baseline is 4. The empty object schema is fully self-explanatory and there is no parameter semantics for the description to add.
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 ('Check') and resource ('SeqCode Registry REST API') with a clear scope ('is accessible'). It is self-evidently distinct from the list_*/get_*/search_* siblings, but it never explicitly frames itself as a health/connectivity probe relative to them, so it falls just short of a 5.
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?
There is no guidance on when to call this versus the data-retrieval siblings, nor any mention of using it as a prerequisite connectivity check. The agent must infer its role entirely from the name and one-sentence purpose.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.