AI engineering glossary · Agents tools MCP
What is read-only tool?
Read-only tool: A tool that only fetches information and changes nothing, such as a search or database lookup. Read-only tools are safe to call freely and in parallel, so agents are usually given these before any tools that write.
Read-only tool: an example
A tool that runs SELECT queries on a reporting database is read-only; one that runs UPDATE is not.
Related terms
More Agents tools MCP terms
- Reflection
- Replanning
- Retry with backoff
- Router pattern
- Sandbox
- Scope (OAuth)
- Scratchpad memory
- Self-critique
Where you learn it
Read-only tool is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.