This MCP server provides three READ_ONLY tools for accessing IETF RFC documents. While the tools have basic descriptions and input schemas, significant quality gaps limit the score. Tool descriptions are present but lack actionable context (no guidance on when to use each tool, no error recovery hints). Parameter descriptions are minimal or absent. Output schemas are not documented. The server uses FastMCP framework with STDIO-only transport, limiting remote accessibility. No error handling patterns, no pagination guidance for potentially large result sets, and no tool annotations (readOnlyHint, idempotentHint) despite all three tools being read-only. Tool naming is reasonably clear (verb_noun pattern), but parameter naming could be more explicit (e.g., 'max_lines' vs 'limit'). The search tool returns unstructured results without pagination support, which could produce hundreds of matches for broad keywords.

• Document output schema for each tool. Specify return type (e.g., 'Returns int', 'Returns Dict[str, Any] with fields: {number: str, title: str, url: str}', 'Returns List[Dict] with fields: {number, title}'). This is critical for LLM planning.
• Add tool annotations: mark all three tools with readOnlyHint=true (none modify state) and idempotentHint=true (all produce same result on repeated calls). This guides agent caching and plan optimization.
• Expand parameter descriptions. For 'start_line' and 'max_lines': 'start_line (integer, 1-based, default 1): Line number to begin reading from. max_lines (integer, 1 - 10000, default 200): Maximum lines to return. Using pagination prevents context window exhaustion.'
• Add pagination to search_ietf_rfc_by_keyword. Accept 'offset' (default 0) and 'limit' (default 20, max 100) parameters. Return Dict with keys: {matches: List[Dict], total_count: int, offset: int, limit: int}. Include guidance: 'Use offset and limit to retrieve large result sets incrementally.'
• Add recovery hints to tool descriptions. E.g., get_ietf_doc: 'If the RFC number is unknown, call search_ietf_rfc_by_keyword() first. Returns error if RFC not found or network unavailable.'
• Clarify tool selection criteria in descriptions. search_ietf_rfc_by_keyword: 'Call this when you know keywords but not the RFC number. For a known RFC number, use get_ietf_doc directly.'
• Fix docstring parameter type in get_ietf_doc. Change 'number: str (e.g., "1234")' to 'number: int (RFC number, e.g., 1234)' to align with function signature.

Inferred effective spec: <=2025-11-25.

• Relies on Logging (deprecated) - log to stderr or use OpenTelemetry