UnClick MCP Server

news_search

Read-onlyIdempotent

Search news articles by keyword and filter results by date, language, and sort order through NewsAPI to find relevant coverage for research or monitoring.

Instructions

Search news articles via NewsAPI.

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": {
      "q": "<q>"
    },
    "name": "news_search"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`q`	Yes
`to`	No
`from`	No
`sortBy`	No
`api_key`	No
`language`	No
`pageSize`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Addedv0.1.5May 27, 2026

TDQS

C2.4/5.0

Behavior2/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, openWorldHint, and destructiveHint=false, so the safety profile is fully covered without the description. The only added context is the upstream provider (NewsAPI), which is minor and does not mention rate limits, the free-tier window, or that requests require an API key supplied per call.

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

Conciseness3/5

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

A single sentence with no filler, front-loaded with the operation, so nothing is wasted. The problem is under-specification rather than verbosity, which caps the score at adequate.

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

Completeness2/5

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

For a 7-parameter tool with zero schema documentation and no output schema, the description is far too thin: an agent cannot tell what the response looks like, how pagination via pageSize behaves, or what date formats from/to accept. The provider reference is the only substantive detail.

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

Parameters1/5

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

Schema description coverage is 0% across 7 parameters (q, from, to, sortBy, language, pageSize, api_key), and the description defines none of them — not even the date-format expectations for from/to or the legal values for sortBy. With a sensitive api_key parameter and entirely undocumented fields, the description fails to compensate for the schema gap.

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?

The description states a specific verb and resource ('Search news articles') plus the data provider ('via NewsAPI'), which is unambiguous about what the tool does. However, it does not distinguish itself from close siblings like news_top_headlines, gdelt_news_search, or guardian_search_articles, so an agent gets no routing signal from the description.

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

Usage Guidelines2/5

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

There is no guidance on when to use this versus news_top_headlines (keyword search vs. headlines) or the other news siblings in the catalogue. Any usage rule must be inferred entirely from the tool name.

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

Deploy Server