photos-mcp

Photos Album Create

photos_album_create

Create a Google Photos album from up to 50 selected item IDs and return album details including ID, URL, title, item count, and sharing status.

Instructions

Create an album, with up to 50 items in it. Returns the album {id, url, title, count, shared} and how many items it holds. Do not repeat a call that failed with outcome_unknown: photos_albums shows whether the album exists.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "title": "<title>"
    },
    "name": "photos_album_create"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`ids`	No	Items to put in it (max 50), ids from search or list
`title`	Yes	The new album's title

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv0.11.3Oct 27, 2026

TDQS

A4/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations flag idempotentHint=false and openWorldHint=true, and the description meaningfully operationalizes the non-idempotency by warning against blind retries and pointing to a verification tool. That is real context beyond the annotation. The 50-item cap is restated from the schema, and no auth/permission notes are given.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three short sentences, front-loaded with the purpose, then the return shape, then the retry hazard. Nothing is redundant enough to cut except the return-value listing, which the output schema already covers.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists, so restating the return shape is unnecessary but harmless; the important missing-context gap for a non-idempotent create is adequately covered by the retry warning. Nothing critical to calling it correctly is absent.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so both 'ids' and 'title' are already documented with constraints and defaults. The description only echoes the max-50 limit already encoded as maxItems, adding no new syntax or sourcing guidance beyond 'ids from search or list' which is in the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('Create an album') plus its capacity limit, which is enough to distinguish it from the creation-free sibling photos_album_add. It stops short of explicitly contrasting with photos_album_add (add items to an existing album), which would have made the differentiation airtight.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives an explicit retry rule ('Do not repeat a call that failed with outcome_unknown') and names photos_albums as the tool that resolves the ambiguity. It does not state when to choose this over photos_album_add, but the create-vs-append distinction is largely implied by the verb.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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