An agent’s tool catalog needs a pruning strategy.

Product teams often add tools one at a time. Over time, the catalog grows into a collection of near-duplicates, legacy actions, and options that differ only in details hidden behind an internal name. The agent sees the same ambiguity a new teammate would see—only without the benefit of years of organisational context.

Start with the workflow

List the capabilities a particular task actually needs. Then ask whether each one has a clear role in that path. If two actions seem interchangeable, the difference should be obvious from what is written around them or one should be removed from the moment.

Prefer clear seams over broad tools

A large tool that does many different things can conceal important choices. Smaller actions can be easier to reason about when their boundaries match a meaningful product decision. The goal is not to maximise the number of tools; it is to make the available choices legible.

Load detail when it becomes relevant

Not every workflow needs the full catalog at the start. Give the agent the capabilities that are relevant to the task, then introduce deeper options when the workflow reaches the decision they support.

Retire ambiguity

Tool catalogs need the same housekeeping as a product navigation system. Remove expired paths, rename vague actions, and watch for choices that produce the same outcome by different routes.

A smaller catalog is not less capable when it makes the right capability easier to find.