ftp_testTests FTP/FTPS/SFTP connectivity by connecting to a configured server, listing its root directory, and reporting success or failure.
Connect to a server, list its root directory, and report success.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| server | No | Name of the configured server. Defaults to the configured default, or the sole server. |
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
No arguments | |||
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
v0.3.2Output schema / oneOfPrevious value: -[
- {
- "additionalProperties": false,
- "properties": {
- "entries_visible": {
- "minimum": 0,
- "type": "integer"
- },
- "host": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "port": {
- "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
- "type": "integer"
- },
- "protocol": {
- "enum": [
- "ftp",
- "ftps",
- "sftp"
- ],
- "type": "string"
- },
- "root": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "security_warning": {
- "type": [
- "string",
- "null"
- ]
- },
- "server": {
- "type": "string"
- }
- },
- "required": [
- "server",
- "protocol",
- "host",
- "port",
- "root",
- "entries_visible",
- "security_warning"
- ],
- "type": "object"
- },
- {
- "additionalProperties": false,
- "properties": {
- "error": {
- "additionalProperties": false,
- "properties": {
- "code": {
- "enum": [
- "CONFIG_REQUIRED",
- "CONFIG_INVALID",
- "SERVER_REQUIRED",
- "SERVER_UNKNOWN",
- "INVALID_ARGUMENT",
- "READ_ONLY",
- "TRANSPORT_POLICY",
- "HOST_KEY_REJECTED",
- "REMOTE_ROOT_REJECTED",
- "PATH_REJECTED",
- "NOT_FOUND",
- "ALREADY_EXISTS",
- "TRANSFER_LIMIT",
- "TRANSFER_VERIFY",
- "TARGET_CHANGED",
- "CANCELLED",
- "TIMEOUT",
- "DEPLOY_PARTIAL",
- "TRANSPORT_ERROR",
- "OUTPUT_LIMIT",
- "INTERNAL_ERROR",
- "SCAN_LIMIT",
- "CAPACITY_LIMIT"
- ],
- "type": "string"
- },
- "effects": {
- "enum": [
- "none",
- "possible",
- "confirmed"
- ],
- "type": "string"
- },
- "message": {
- "type": "string"
- },
- "next_action": {
- "enum": [
- "fix_input",
- "fix_config",
- "select_server",
- "inspect_target",
- "retry",
- "contact_operator",
- "none"
- ],
- "type": "string"
- },
- "partial": {
- "additionalProperties": false,
- "properties": {
- "completed_bytes": {
- "maximum": 9007199254740991,
- "minimum": 0,
- "type": "integer"
- },
- "completed_files": {
- "maximum": 9007199254740991,
- "minimum": 0,
- "type": "integer"
- },
- "failed_files": {
- "maximum": 9007199254740991,
- "minimum": 0,
- "type": "integer"
- },
- "final": {
- "type": "boolean"
- },
- "total_files": {
- "maximum": 9007199254740991,
- "minimum": 0,
- "type": "integer"
- }
- },
- "required": [
- "completed_files",
- "completed_bytes",
- "failed_files",
- "final"
- ],
- "type": "object"
- },
- "request_id": {
- "format": "uuid",
- "type": "string"
- },
- "retryable": {
- "type": "boolean"
- },
- "schema_version": {
- "const": 1,
- "type": "number"
- }
- },
- "required": [
- "schema_version",
- "code",
- "message",
- "retryable",
- "request_id",
- "next_action",
- "effects"
- ],
- "type": "object"
- }
- },
- "required": [
- "error"
- ],
- "type": "object"
- }
-]New value: +[
+ {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "entries_visible": {
+ "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+ "minimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ "host": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "port": {
+ "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+ "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ "protocol": {
+ "enum": [
+ "ftp",
+ "ftps",
+ "sftp"
+ ],
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "root": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "security_warning": {
+ "type": [
+ "string",
+ "null"
+ ]
+ },
+ "server": {
+ "type": "string"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "server",
+ "protocol",
+ "host",
+ "port",
+ "root",
+ "entries_visible",
+ "security_warning"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "error": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "code": {
+ "enum": [
+ "CONFIG_REQUIRED",
+ "CONFIG_INVALID",
+ "SERVER_REQUIRED",
+ "SERVER_UNKNOWN",
+ "INVALID_ARGUMENT",
+ "READ_ONLY",
+ "TRANSPORT_POLICY",
+ "HOST_KEY_REJECTED",
+ "REMOTE_ROOT_REJECTED",
+ "PATH_REJECTED",
+ "NOT_FOUND",
+ "ALREADY_EXISTS",
+ "TRANSFER_LIMIT",
+ "TRANSFER_VERIFY",
+ "TARGET_CHANGED",
+ "CANCELLED",
+ "TIMEOUT",
+ "DEPLOY_PARTIAL",
+ "TRANSPORT_ERROR",
+ "OUTPUT_LIMIT",
+ "INTERNAL_ERROR",
+ "SCAN_LIMIT",
+ "CAPACITY_LIMIT"
+ ],
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "effects": {
+ "enum": [
+ "none",
+ "possible",
+ "confirmed"
+ ],
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "message": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "next_action": {
+ "enum": [
+ "fix_input",
+ "fix_config",
+ "select_server",
+ "inspect_target",
+ "retry",
+ "contact_operator",
+ "none"
+ ],
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "partial": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "completed_bytes": {
+ "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+ "minimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ "completed_files": {
+ "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+ "minimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ "failed_files": {
+ "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+ "minimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ "final": {
+ "type": "boolean"
+ },
+ "total_files": {
+ "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+ "minimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "completed_files",
+ "completed_bytes",
+ "failed_files",
+ "final"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ "request_id": {
+ "format": "uuid",
+ "pattern": "^([0-9a-fA-F]{8}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-[1-8][0-9a-fA-F]{3}-[89abAB][0-9a-fA-F]{3}-[0-9a-fA-F]{12}|00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000|ffffffff-ffff-ffff-ffff-ffffffffffff)$",
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "retryable": {
+ "type": "boolean"
+ },
+ "schema_version": {
+ "const": 1,
+ "type": "number"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "schema_version",
+ "code",
+ "message",
+ "retryable",
+ "request_id",
+ "next_action",
+ "effects"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "error"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ }
+]v0.2.0Output schema / (root)Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+ "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+ "oneOf": [
+ {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "entries_visible": {
+ "minimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ "host": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "port": {
+ "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ "protocol": {
+ "enum": [
+ "ftp",
+ "ftps",
+ "sftp"
+ ],
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "root": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "security_warning": {
+ "type": [
+ "string",
+ "null"
+ ]
+ },
+ "server": {
+ "type": "string"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "server",
+ "protocol",
+ "host",
+ "port",
+ "root",
+ "entries_visible",
+ "security_warning"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "error": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "code": {
+ "enum": [
+ "CONFIG_REQUIRED",
+ "CONFIG_INVALID",
+ "SERVER_REQUIRED",
+ "SERVER_UNKNOWN",
+ "INVALID_ARGUMENT",
+ "READ_ONLY",
+ "TRANSPORT_POLICY",
+ "HOST_KEY_REJECTED",
+ "REMOTE_ROOT_REJECTED",
+ "PATH_REJECTED",
+ "NOT_FOUND",
+ "ALREADY_EXISTS",
+ "TRANSFER_LIMIT",
+ "TRANSFER_VERIFY",
+ "TARGET_CHANGED",
+ "CANCELLED",
+ "TIMEOUT",
+ "DEPLOY_PARTIAL",
+ "TRANSPORT_ERROR",
+ "OUTPUT_LIMIT",
+ "INTERNAL_ERROR",
+ "SCAN_LIMIT",
+ "CAPACITY_LIMIT"
+ ],
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "effects": {
+ "enum": [
+ "none",
+ "possible",
+ "confirmed"
+ ],
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "message": {
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "next_action": {
+ "enum": [
+ "fix_input",
+ "fix_config",
+ "select_server",
+ "inspect_target",
+ "retry",
+ "contact_operator",
+ "none"
+ ],
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "partial": {
+ "additionalProperties": false,
+ "properties": {
+ "completed_bytes": {
+ "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+ "minimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ "completed_files": {
+ "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+ "minimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ "failed_files": {
+ "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+ "minimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ },
+ "final": {
+ "type": "boolean"
+ },
+ "total_files": {
+ "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+ "minimum": 0,
+ "type": "integer"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "completed_files",
+ "completed_bytes",
+ "failed_files",
+ "final"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ },
+ "request_id": {
+ "format": "uuid",
+ "type": "string"
+ },
+ "retryable": {
+ "type": "boolean"
+ },
+ "schema_version": {
+ "const": 1,
+ "type": "number"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "schema_version",
+ "code",
+ "message",
+ "retryable",
+ "request_id",
+ "next_action",
+ "effects"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ }
+ },
+ "required": [
+ "error"
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+ }
+ ],
+ "type": "object"
+}v0.1.0Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, destructiveHint=false and openWorldHint, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds genuine context beyond that by revealing the mechanism (it connects and lists the root directory), but it says nothing about how failure is surfaced or whether a failed connection raises or returns a negative result.
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 tight sentence with no filler, front-loaded on the connect action and ending with the observable outcome. Every clause earns its place.
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?
With annotations covering safety, an output schema covering the return value, and full schema coverage of the sole parameter, the description only needs to convey the operation, which it does. The remaining gap is failure semantics, which is minor given the output schema likely encodes the success flag.
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?
There is one optional parameter, 'server', and schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already explains the default-resolution behavior. The description never mentions the parameter, so it adds nothing beyond the schema; the baseline of 3 applies when the schema carries the full load.
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 names a specific sequence of actions (connect, list root directory, report success) on a concrete resource, the server, so the agent knows this is a connectivity diagnostic rather than a data-fetch tool. It does not, however, distinguish itself from siblings like ftp_list or ftp_list_servers, which also touch directory contents, so an agent must infer the difference.
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 word 'test' and the 'report success' phrasing imply the usage context of validating connectivity before other operations, which is the implied-usage bar. There is no explicit when-to-use statement, no prerequisites, and no named alternative such as ftp_list for actually retrieving listings.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.