mealie-agent-mcp

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Search Recipes

search_recipes

Read-only

Find Mealie recipes by keyword, tags, categories, or foods and return compact summaries; use recipe slugs to fetch full ingredients and instructions.

Instructions

Search the Mealie recipe collection by text and/or tags, categories or foods.

Returns compact summaries (id, slug, name, short description, tags, url). Use get_recipe with a slug for ingredients and instructions.

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "search_recipes"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`page`	No
`tags`	No	Tag slugs to filter by (see list_recipe_organizers).
`foods`	No	Food ids that recipes must contain.
`query`	No	Words to match in recipe name, description or ingredients.
`per_page`	No
`categories`	No	Category slugs to filter by.
`require_all`	No	Require all given tags/categories/foods instead of any.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv0.1.1Nov 6, 2026

TDQS

A4/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, destructiveHint=false and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds value beyond that by naming the shape of what comes back (compact summaries with id, slug, name, description, tags, url), telling the agent results are not full objects. Pagination and empty-result behavior remain unstated.

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?

Two short sentences with no waste: purpose and filter axes first, then the return shape, then the handoff to get_recipe. Every sentence carries distinct information and the most important routing cue lands before the agent would need it.

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 7-parameter, zero-required search tool with an output schema and read-only annotations, the description covers purpose, return granularity and follow-up routing adequately. It leaves pagination and require_all semantics to the schema, which is a minor gap rather than a blocker.

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 description coverage is 71%, with tags, foods, query, categories and require_all documented in the schema itself. The description restates the filter dimensions but adds nothing about require_all's AND/OR semantics, page/per_page limits, or expected slug formats, so it performs at the baseline rather than compensating.

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 ("Search the Mealie recipe collection") plus the filter dimensions (text, tags, categories, foods), and explicitly routes detail-fetching to get_recipe. It does not differentiate from the sibling list_recipes, which an agent could reasonably confuse with this tool, so it falls 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.

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

Gives a clear when-to-use-this-instead rule: "Use get_recipe with a slug for ingredients and instructions," which prevents the common mistake of using search results as full recipes. It offers no exclusion or comparison against list_recipes or list_recipe_organizers, so context is clear but not exhaustive.

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