MCP Tool Management

MCP Tool Management

Use this skill to keep tools separate from skills while making them work together.

Repository Model

• skills/ tells the agent how to think and behave.
• workflows/ tells the agent what order to do work in.
• mcp-tools/ contains executable actions.
• data/tools.json indexes tool groups, modules, and the skills/workflows that use them.

Decision Rule

Make something a tool when it performs an action that benefits from code:

• Reading or searching files
• Editing files
• Running tests or commands
• Calling APIs
• Processing media
• Fetching web pages
• Scoring or transforming prompts

Keep something as a skill when it is judgment, policy, order of operations, or domain guidance.

Make something a workflow when it combines multiple skills and tools into a repeatable job.

Tool Design Rules

• One tool should do one narrow job.
• Inputs should be typed and explicit.
• Outputs should be structured and easy for an agent to inspect.
• Errors should explain what failed and what input caused it.
• Tools should not hide broad multi-step workflows.
• Tools should not duplicate long SKILL.md instructions.
• Dangerous operations should require explicit confirmation or be split into inspect/apply phases.

Recommended Tool Groups

• filesystem.py - list, read, search, and inspect files.
• registry.py - inspect available tools, workflows, runtime capabilities, and policy.
• toolsets.py - route agents to curated tool groups by job type.
• audit.py - inspect audit logs, policy denials, and recent tool activity.
• mcp_security_audit.py - inspect local MCP tool risk and policy coverage.
• security_scanner.py - scan repository secrets, dangerous commands, env exposure, and dependency risks.
• project.py - inspect project stack, package scripts, important files, and health.
• docs.py - find documentation, read README/docs files, and build context bundles.
• package.py - inspect package managers, manifests, lockfiles, and dependencies.
• api.py - inspect API route files, endpoints, OpenAPI specs, and API config hints.
• database.py - inspect schema files, migrations, ORM models, and database config hints.
• config.py - inspect config files, env keys, examples, and secret hygiene signals.
• test_inspection.py - inspect test files, frameworks, and source-to-test hints.
• task.py - scan task markers and roadmap files.
• dependency_risk.py - inspect offline dependency risk signals.
• release.py - inspect release files, versions, and readiness.
• backup.py - create allowed-root zip snapshots before broad edits.
• structured_data.py - read, validate, inspect, and patch JSON/YAML/TOML safely.
• memory.py - store, search, and summarize local project memories.
• memory_context.py - save typed decisions, preferences, bug lessons, and context packs.
• github.py - inspect GitHub workflow metadata and draft PR text.
• browser.py - inspect browser readiness and plan local UI smoke checks.
• sandbox.py - create temporary workspaces and compile snippets safely.
• git.py - inspect status, diffs, branches, and commits without mutation.
• git_control.py - create/switch branches, stage/unstage, and commit through allowlisted commands.
• playwright_tools.py - inspect live pages and capture screenshots when Playwright is available.
• playwright_actions.py - click, fill, assert text, inspect console/network failures, and run UI checks.
• code_editing.py - patch, format, diff, and test code.
• validation.py - plan and run allowlisted test, lint, typecheck, and build commands.
• prompt_improver.py - analyze, improve, score, and template prompts.
• web.py - search, fetch, extract, and summarize sources.
• media.py - inspect and process image, audio, and video files.
• system.py - inspect environment and run validation commands.

Workflow

1. Classify the capability.

   • Skill: guidance or behavior.
   • Workflow: ordered playbook.
   • Tool: executable action.
   • Registry entry: discoverability and routing metadata.

2. Choose the tool group.

   • Put the function in the smallest matching module.
   • Create a new module only when no existing group fits.

3. Define the contract.

   • Name
   • Purpose
   • Inputs
   • Output shape
   • Error behavior
   • Safety constraints

4. Update the registry.

   • Add or update data/tools.json.
   • Map the tool group to relevant skills and workflows.
   • Add runtime introspection when agents need to discover the capability themselves.

5. Update skill or workflow text only when behavior changes.

   • Skills should say what capability to use.
   • Workflows should say which phase uses it.

6. Validate.

   • Confirm the module path exists.
   • Confirm registry JSON is valid.
   • Confirm no workflow depends on a missing skill or tool group.

Output Format

End with:

• Tool group changed
• Tool contracts added or updated
• Skills/workflows connected
• Validation result