Tool Naming Conventions

Tool Naming Conventions are best practices for naming MCP tools to ensure they are easily understood by AI models.

Recommended Patterns

• Action-Noun: Use verbs followed by descriptive nouns (e.g., get_user, create_ticket).
• Namespace-Prefixing: For servers with many tools, use a prefix (e.g., github_list_repos, github_get_issue).
• Underscore Separation: Use lower_snake_case for maximum compatibility across different programming languages.

Consistent naming helps the model build a more accurate "mental map" of available capabilities.

Questions & Answers

Why is tool naming important for AI models?

Standardized tool naming helps AI models understand and categorize available capabilities more accurately. consistent naming patterns reduce ambiguity and prevent collisions between tools from different servers.

What is the "Action-Noun" naming pattern?

This is a recommended pattern where tools are named using a verb followed by a descriptive noun (e.g., get_user or create_ticket). It clearly communicates the purpose and effect of the tool to the model.

Why is lower_snake_case recommended for MCP tool names?

The lower_snake_case format is recommended (e.g., fetch_api_data) because it ensures maximum compatibility across various programming languages and JSON serialization libraries used by clients and servers.