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mcp-clipboard

by cmeans
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Python
Local

clipboard_list_formats

Read-onlyIdempotent

List system clipboard MIME types to diagnose available formats for spreadsheet data, like text/html or text/plain.

Instructions

List the MIME types / formats currently on the system clipboard. Diagnostic tool — use clipboard_paste to actually read and return clipboard content.

Lists what formats are present. For spreadsheet data, you want to see "text/html" (best) or "text/plain" (fallback with tab-separated values).

Args: selection: Which buffer to list. Defaults to "clipboard". Pass "primary" to list formats on the X11/Wayland PRIMARY selection. macOS and Windows have no PRIMARY analog and will return an error if "primary" is passed.

Returns: A list of available clipboard formats.

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
selectionNoclipboard

Output Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
resultYes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed1 schema field changedv2.6.2
    • addedInput schema / properties / selection
      Added value: +{
+  "default": "clipboard",
+  "title": "Selection",
+  "type": "string"
+}
  2. First observedv1.0.1

TDQS

A4.6/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, destructiveHint=false and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds genuinely new behavioral context the annotations do not: passing 'primary' on macOS/Windows returns an error, and the X11/Wayland-specific nature of PRIMARY. It does not discuss latency or rate limits, but for a local clipboard read that is minor.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

Front-loaded with purpose and the routing instruction, then Args/Returns blocks. Efficient overall, but the 'Returns: A list of available clipboard formats' section duplicates a return value already defined by the output schema, so one block is not fully earning its place.

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?

For a one-parameter diagnostic read tool with annotations and an output schema, the description covers purpose, routing, and the platform-specific edge case completely. The only redundancy is restating the return shape that the output schema already supplies, which is harmless rather than a gap.

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

Parameters5/5

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

Schema description coverage is 0%, so the description carries the full burden for the single parameter, and it does: the default value ('clipboard'), the exact alternative ('primary'), the platform it applies to (X11/Wayland), and the failure mode on macOS/Windows. This is more meaning than the bare string type in the schema provides.

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

Purpose5/5

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

States a specific verb and resource ('List the MIME types / formats currently on the system clipboard') and immediately scopes it as a diagnostic tool distinct from clipboard_paste, which actually returns content. An agent can tell it apart from clipboard_read_raw and clipboard_paste without opening any schema.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

Names the alternative explicitly ('use clipboard_paste to actually read and return clipboard content') and gives a concrete motivating scenario (spreadsheet data via text/html or text/plain). It also states the when-not case implicitly through the diagnostic framing, leaving nothing to inference.

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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