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Tool customization

MCP servers can expose hundreds of tools to AI agents. Without curation, this causes problems: degraded AI performance, security risks, and poor user outcomes.

The token problem​

Every tool you enable adds tokens to the AI agent's context. Consider what happens when an agent sees 200 available tools:

  1. Context consumption: Tool descriptions alone might use 50,000+ tokens
  2. Decision paralysis: The agent struggles to select the right tool
  3. Increased latency: More tools mean longer processing times
  4. Higher costs: Token usage directly impacts API costs and usage limits

The solution isn't to minimize tools blindly but to curate thoughtfully.

Accessing tool customization​

To configure tools for an MCP server:

  1. Go to Manage store in the sidebar
  2. Click on the MCP server you want to configure
  3. Select the Tool customization tab

Update policy​

The update policy controls what happens when MCP connectors add new tools:

  • Enable new tools by default: New tools automatically become available to users. Good for development environments where you want quick access to new capabilities.

  • Require manual approval: New tools stay disabled until an administrator explicitly enables them. Recommended for production environments where you want to review tools before exposing them.

Tool update policy setting

Tool name limits​

Some AI clients impose character limits on tool names. When your tools exceed these limits, you'll see a warning showing:

  • Which tools exceed the limit
  • The current character count
  • Suggestions for shortening names

You can shorten tool names by:

  • Shortening the MCP server name
  • Shortening connector names
  • Renaming individual tools

Managing individual tools​

Each connector shows its available tools. For each tool, you can:

Enable or disable​

Toggle tools on or off to control what's exposed to AI agents. Disabled tools won't appear in the agent's available tool list.

Rename tools​

Change tool names to:

  • Avoid conflicts with tools from other connectors
  • Guide agent behavior with use-case-specific naming
  • Stay within client character limits

Add documentation​

Provide additional context to help agents use tools correctly. This appears alongside the tool's built-in description.

Understanding tool categories​

Tools fall into two fundamental categories:

Read-only tools​

These tools retrieve information without side effects:

  • Database queries
  • File reading operations
  • API status checks
  • Search functions

Read-only tools are generally safe to enable broadly. The main consideration is relevance—will agents actually use them effectively?

Modifying tools​

These tools change state or data:

  • Database inserts and updates
  • File creation and deletion
  • API calls that trigger actions
  • Configuration changes

Modifying tools require careful consideration. Each one represents a potential risk if misused by an agent or compromised account.

Selection strategies​

Begin by understanding what users need agents to accomplish:

  1. Identify user needs: What tasks do they want AI assistance with?
  2. Analyze workflows: Which tools support those specific tasks?
  3. Identify patterns: What combinations of tools work together?

For example, a support team might need agents to:

  • Search documentation (read-only)
  • Query customer data (read-only)
  • Update ticket status (modifying)
  • Never delete customer records (exclude)

This analysis leads to a focused tool set of perhaps 10-15 tools instead of 100+.

Bulk controls​

For efficiency, use bulk controls to:

  • Enable all read-only tools at once
  • Disable all modifying tools at once
  • Enable or disable all tools from a specific connector

Next steps​