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mhintz1980
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tool-design

Design agent tool interfaces with schemas, parameters, returns, and error handling.

Updated Nov 16, 2025
Search Tags:#documentation#agents#error-handling#consolidation#prompt-engineering#tool-design#tool-schema
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/mhintz1980/ptl-lova --skill tool-design-mhintz1980
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: tool-design
Source: https://github.com/mhintz1980/ptl-lova/tree/main/docs/agent-skills/skills/tool-design
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/mhintz1980/ptl-lova --skill tool-design-mhintz1980

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes scripts (resource) and references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Designing tools for agents is complex; this Skill provides a structured approach to create clear, interoperable tool interfaces, ensuring consistent contracts, predictable interactions, and safer error handling.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Tool Description as Prompt: Tool descriptions are treated as contracts and prompt engineering that shape agent behavior.
  • Consolidation and Namespace Design: Group related tools into comprehensive workflows and use namespaces to avoid ambiguity.
  • Tool Description Engineering: Define what, when, inputs, returns, and errors with concrete examples.
  • Error Message Design: Provide actionable, recoverable error messages to guide agents.
  • Tool Schema Generation: Build standardized schemas for tools including parameters, returns, and errors.
  • Testing and Evaluation: Validate designs with representative agent requests and refine based on failure modes.
  • Integration and Governance: Document how tools connect to context and evaluation patterns.

Quick Start

Draft a complete tool description for a hypothetical agent tool following the standard tool-schema guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions about tool-design

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I design agent tools with clear parameter schemas and error handling?▼

Designing agent tools requires treating tool descriptions as contracts and prompt engineering to shape behavior. You build standardized schemas covering parameters, returns, and actionable error messages to ensure predictable interactions and safer tool selection.

What is tool description engineering for AI agents?▼

Tool description engineering is the practice of defining what a tool does, when to use it, inputs, returns, and errors with concrete examples. It acts as a structured contract that guides agent reasoning and unambiguous parameter selection.

How do I write actionable error messages for agent tool schemas?▼

Actionable error messages for agent tools provide recoverable guidance that directs the agent on how to fix the failure. Structured error design within the tool schema ensures agents can adjust parameters and retry interactions safely.

What's the best way to consolidate related agent tools into namespaces?▼

Consolidating related tools into namespaces involves grouping comprehensive workflows to avoid ambiguity. This structured approach ensures agents select the correct tool without confusion when reasoning about overlapping intents.

How do I test and evaluate agent tool designs for failure modes?▼

Testing agent tool designs involves validating with representative agent requests and refining based on observed failure modes. This evaluation process ensures the tool schema, parameters, and error handling perform reliably in actual contexts.

Do I need structured documentation for tool schema generation?▼

Structured documentation is required for tool schema generation to specify parameters, returns, and errors. This documentation integrates with context and evaluation patterns to govern how agents connect to and interact with the tool.

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