Find bike stations in a city with live availability. Filter by a name search and/or sort by distance from a coordinate (results then include distance_km). Without lat/lon, results are sorted by most bikes available.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| lat | No | Latitude to sort by proximity | |
| lon | No | Longitude to sort by proximity | |
| city | Yes | City id: one of manchester | |
| limit | No | ||
| query | No | Case-insensitive station name filter |
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.
Input schema / properties / city / descriptionPrevious value: -"City id: one of manchester, bcp, bradford, brighton, canterbury, cornwall, guildford, hackney-cargo, hereford, hertsmere, leeds, liverpool, norwich, plymouth, stevenage, watford, weymouth, worcester"New value: +"City id: one of manchester"Input schema / properties / city / descriptionPrevious value: -"City id: one of manchester, bcp, bradford, brighton, canterbury, cornwall, eastleigh, guildford, hackney-cargo, hereford, hertsmere, isle-of-wight, leeds, liverpool, norwich, plymouth, portsmouth, southampton, stevenage, watford, west-midlands, weymouth, wool, worcester"New value: +"City id: one of manchester, bcp, bradford, brighton, canterbury, cornwall, guildford, hackney-cargo, hereford, hertsmere, leeds, liverpool, norwich, plymouth, stevenage, watford, weymouth, worcester"Input schema / properties / city / descriptionPrevious value: -"City id: one of manchester, bcp, bradford"New value: +"City id: one of manchester, bcp, bradford, brighton, canterbury, cornwall, eastleigh, guildford, hackney-cargo, hereford, hertsmere, isle-of-wight, leeds, liverpool, norwich, plymouth, portsmouth, southampton, stevenage, watford, west-midlands, weymouth, wool, worcester"Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
No annotations are present, so the description carries the full burden. It discloses live availability, sorting default, and that distance_km appears when coordinates are provided. This is valuable behavioral context, though it doesn't cover pagination or rate limits.
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?
Two sentences, front-loaded, no redundant information.
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?
For a simple tool with no output schema, this covers key behaviors: live availability, filtering, sorting, and conditional output. The limit parameter is documented in schema, so the description is adequate.
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?
Schema description coverage is 80%, so baseline is 3. The description adds nuance around lat/lon (including distance_km) and default sorting, but doesn't explain limit beyond schema.
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 begins with 'Find bike stations in a city with live availability', stating a specific verb, resource, and scope. It further clarifies filtering by name and sorting by distance, which distinguishes it from sibling tools like get_popular_stations.
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?
It clearly states the tool finds stations and explains conditional behavior for lat/lon vs no coordinates. It doesn't explicitly name alternatives or when not to use, but gives enough context on usage.
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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Each tool targets a distinct aspect of bike-share data: city listing, station search, live network totals, time trends, and popular stations. No functional overlap exists.
All tool names follow a consistent verb_noun pattern (e.g., find_stations, get_network_status), making the API predictable.
Five tools cover the core features of a bike-share tracking service without unnecessary clutter, striking a good balance.
The set covers querying cities, finding stations, live status, trends, and popular stations. A minor gap is the lack of a tool for individual station details beyond live availability.