Reference

Tool Design glossary

3 exam-critical terms in the Tool Design category. See all categories →

AllAPIAgenticPromptClaude CodeTool DesignMCPContext

Tool description

Tool Design

The #1 lever for tool selection. Should specify: what it does, expected inputs, example queries handled, and explicit boundaries vs similar tools.

input_schema

Tool Design

JSON Schema defining a tool's parameters. Use enums to constrain choices; describe every field; mark required fields explicitly.

Idempotency key

Tool Design

Parameter on mutating tools that lets the agent safely retry after a timeout without doubling side effects. Standard for anything that changes state.