Tool names follow verb_noun or verb-noun convention with no collisions

Tool names are the primary routing signal for any AI client selecting between dozens of tools from multiple connected MCP servers. A name like run or do gives the model nothing to distinguish your tool from a similarly-named one in another server. Mixed conventions — some snake_case, some camelCase, some kebab-case — force the model to pattern-match without a consistent rule, increasing mistaken invocations. When tool selection fails silently, the correct action is never taken and the user sees wrong or missing output with no explanation.

Rename every tool to verb_noun snake_case with a descriptive noun that scopes the action. No single-word names.

// src/tools/index.ts
// Before: 'run', 'createIssue', 'do-deploy'
// After:
server.tool('run_command', ...)
server.tool('create_github_issue', ...)
server.tool('deploy_to_vercel', ...)

If two tools have the same verb, make the noun more specific: read_file vs. read_database_row. Confirm no duplicate names by listing all registered tools at startup.

• ID: mcp-server.tool-definitions.tool-naming

• Severity: high

• What to look for: Count all tool names. Enumerate which follow snake_case convention and are descriptive vs. which use abbreviations or unclear names. List all registered tool names. Check that names follow a consistent convention — verb_noun (e.g., search_files, create_issue) or verb-noun (e.g., search-files, create-issue). Check for name collisions (duplicate names). Check for vague names (run, do, process) that don't describe what the tool does. Check that names are descriptive enough for an AI to select the right tool from a list of many tools.

• Pass criteria: All tool names follow a consistent naming convention. Names are descriptive (an AI reading only the name could guess what the tool does). No duplicate names. No single-word generic names. 100% of tool names must use snake_case with no more than 40 characters each.

• Fail criteria: Mixed naming conventions (some snake_case, some camelCase, some kebab-case), or duplicate tool names, or vague single-word names, or names that don't describe the action.

• Skip (N/A) when: The server registers no tools. All checks skip when no MCP server is detected.

• Cross-reference: For tool descriptions, see tool-descriptions. For naming in resource URIs, see resource-uris.

• Detail on fail: "Mixed naming: 'search_files' (snake_case) but 'createIssue' (camelCase) and 'deploy' (single-word, vague)" or "Tool name 'run' is too generic — when multiple MCP servers are connected, the AI cannot distinguish this from other 'run' tools"

• Remediation: Tool names are the primary signal an AI uses to decide which tool to call. Make them specific and consistent:

  // src/tools/index.ts — well-named tools
  { name: "get_user_profile" }  // Good: snake_case, descriptive
  // Avoid: { name: "gup" } or { name: "getUserProfile" }
  

  // Good — consistent snake_case, descriptive verb_noun
  server.tool('search_files', ...)
  server.tool('read_file', ...)
  server.tool('create_issue', ...)
  server.tool('list_branches', ...)
  
  // Bad — inconsistent, vague
  server.tool('search', ...)        // search what?
  server.tool('createIssue', ...)   // mixed convention
  server.tool('do-deploy', ...)     // mixed convention