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Chapter 3 · Tool Design
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CHAPTER 03 · Tool Design · 6 / 11

Schema discipline

The parameter schema is your guardrail against malformed calls. Tighten it:

  • Use enums for fields with a fixed set of values. The model can't send an invalid option.
  • Use bounds (minimum/maximum) for numbers. "Create up to 20 copies," not unbounded.
  • Mark required fields explicitly, and keep optional fields genuinely optional.
  • Describe each field, not just the tool. A field description like "~40 characters immediately preceding the target text, used to disambiguate" teaches the model how to fill it.
  • Keep schemas flat where possible. Deeply nested schemas are harder for models to fill correctly.

A tight schema reduces the rate of malformed calls, which reduces error-recovery loops, which improves latency and reliability.

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