Issue
Tool Exists but Required Inputs Are Missing
A usable tool or integration exists, but the AI or agent does not have the required inputs, permissions, fields, identifiers, or context needed to call it correctly.
What This Looks Like
A tool, connector, function, or MCP capability is available, but the AI cannot call it correctly because required inputs are missing. The missing piece may be an identifier, account, file path, date range, permission, required field, user selection, mode, or other value needed by the tool contract.
Why It Matters
Users may experience this as the AI failing to use a tool, but the actual problem is that the tool requires inputs the system does not yet have. If the gap is not surfaced clearly, the agent may guess, call the tool incorrectly, stall, or produce an answer without using the tool that should have governed the work.
Structural Signal
The capability exists, but the input declaration is incomplete. The issue is not tool absence; it is that the system lacks the required values or authority needed to cross the tool interface correctly.
Common Triggers
- Required tool fields are not requested from the user before execution
- The prompt assumes the system already knows an identifier, file, account, or target
- The agent chooses a tool before gathering minimum inputs
- Tool schema requirements are hidden from the user-facing task
- Permissions or runtime context are required but not declared as inputs
- The workflow has no fallback when required inputs are unavailable
When to Use This Issue
Use this Issue when the tool exists and could perform the task, but the AI or agent lacks required inputs, identifiers, permissions, or context needed to call it correctly.
When Not to Use This Issue
Do not use this Issue when the tool is unsupported, disabled, or unavailable in the current mode. Do not use it when the tool was called with the wrong shape despite all required inputs being available.
Category
Primary Pattern
Declared Patterns
Incomplete Declaration
A structural condition where an element is declared but required attributes, dependencies, or linked definitions are missing.
Constraints Underspecified
A structural condition where declared constraints are insufficient to eliminate ambiguity or multiple admissible states.
Interface Mismatch
A structural condition where observed interface behavior, shape, or exchange differs from the declared interface contract.
Derived Primary Lenses
Absence Lens
Detects structurally required elements that are missing from the observed structure.
Constraint Sufficiency Lens
Evaluates whether declared constraints are sufficient to eliminate structural degrees of freedom.
Interface Contract Lens
Compares declared interface structure to observed runtime structure to detect contract deviations.
Derived Secondary Lenses
Determinism Lens
Evaluates whether identical structural inputs produce equivalent structural outputs across repeated executions.
Normalization Lens
Transforms structurally equivalent variants into a canonical form to prevent false divergence.
Variance / Entropy Lens
Measures structural variability across repeated or comparable evaluations and identifies divergence beyond expected bounds.
Related AI-Adjacent Issues
Agent Keeps Adding Tool Dependencies
An agent keeps adding required tools, connectors, searches, files, APIs, or integrations instead of completing the task with the available surface.
Tool Not Supported in This Mode
A tool or capability appears unavailable in the current mode, environment, product surface, or runtime context.
Search Intents
- tool exists but required inputs are missing
- AI cannot call tool missing inputs
- agent needs required tool fields
- tool available but not enough information
- missing inputs for MCP tool
- AI tool call lacks required parameters