## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `q` | string | Yes | Natural-language query. Searches across tool names, descriptions, tags, languages, and categories. |

## Query guidance

Good queries usually include:

- The problem to solve
- The language or framework
- Important constraints such as deployment model or integration surface

Example queries:

- `authentication library for Node.js`
- `python sdk for Slack bots`
- `self-hosted feature flag service for Go`

## Returns

The tool returns results in **Toon** (Token-Oriented Object Notation), a compact, token-efficient format for LLM consumption. Learn more at [toonformat.dev](https://toonformat.dev/). Each result includes:

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `name` | string | Tool name |
| `description` | string | Full description |
| `languages` | string\[\] | Supported languages |
| `categories` | string\[\] | Tool categories |
| `slug` | string | URL-friendly identifier for the tool |

## Example call

```
{
  "q": "authentication library for Node.js"
}
```

Example response (Toon format):

```
results[1]:
  - name: Example Auth SDK
    description: A TypeScript authentication library for Node.js applications.
    languages[2]: TypeScript,JavaScript
    categories[2]: Authentication,SDK
    slug: example-auth-sdk
```

## Use this tool when

- The agent needs to recommend a library, CLI, SDK, or API
- The agent should avoid fabricating or guessing tool names
- The agent needs accurate metadata before selecting a dependency

## Typical workflow

1. Call `search_tools` with a task-focused query.
2. Review the ranked results and metadata.
3. Use the returned links and descriptions to narrow the candidate set.
4. Only then recommend or integrate the selected tool.