After opening Tool Search with Hermes Agent, you can't find a tool. First, distinguish whether it's "hidden, waiting to search" or "not loaded at all." The purpose of Tool Search is not to cram all tools into the current context, but to place some tools into the discoverable directory and pull them out when needed.
Hidden and unloaded performances differ
If the tool can be found in the table of contents but the model does not actively use it, it is likely due to an unclear task description or the model determines that the current problem does not require this tool. If the tool cannot be found at all, check the MCP server, plugins, provider, or environment variables, which means it has not entered the tool registration process.
Don't connect multiple MCPs at the same time during troubleshooting. First, keep a tool you want to test and let Hermes complete a task that must be called. If you pass the minimum test, you can gradually add other tools. This way, you can tell whether the tool itself is broken or if too many tools are making discovery and selection poor.
How to make it easier to use correctly
The prompts clearly state what to check, which data source to use, and what output you expect. For example, "Please search for this repository issue in GitHub tools" is easier to trigger the correct tool than "Help me see why it is getting an error." Tool Search is not mind-reading; it requires clear task leads.
If configured by a team, it is recommended to place high-risk tools into a narrower toolkit, while low-risk search tools are suitable for permanent search directories. Tool discovery does not mean tools should be called casually, especially those that can write to databases, publish content, or modify cloud resources.
Another point that's easy to overlook: if the tool description is too vague, it can also make search results worse. Clearly state the purpose, input, restrictions, and unsuitable scenarios for tools is more useful than simply increasing the number of tools. A search directory is not a repository list, but rather an index for selecting the model.
