Meta No native equivalent

describe_tools

Get full parameter schemas for specific tools by name. Optionally reveal hidden tools in the active tool list.

What it does

describe_tools returns the complete JSON schema for one or more tools by name. This includes all parameters with types, descriptions, defaults, and constraints.

With reveal=true, it also enables the tool in the active MCP tool list, making it callable by the agent.

The discovery workflow

  1. discover_tools(query="dead code") → finds find_dead_code
  2. describe_tools(names=["find_dead_code"], reveal=true) → returns full schema and enables the tool
  3. Agent calls find_dead_code(repo=...) directly

When to use it

  • After discover_tools — to get the full schema before calling a tool
  • Enabling hidden tools — reveal=true makes a tool callable
  • Batch schema lookup — pass multiple names to get schemas in one call

Related tools

discover_tools usage_stats

Benchmark note

This benchmark compares CodeSift against the closest practical native workflow an agent would use for the same task. For some tools, that baseline is a direct shell equivalent such as rg or find. For AST-aware, graph-aware, and LSP-backed tools, the baseline is a multi-step workflow rather than a strictly identical command. Results should be read as agent-workflow comparisons: token cost, call count, and practical context efficiency.