Tools Reference
The Platebreaker MCP server provides four read-only tools. Your AI assistant calls them automatically based on your question, but understanding what each tool does helps you get better results.
All tools are marked as read-only and non-destructive. They can only read recipe data and cannot modify anything in your account.
searchRecipes
Section titled “searchRecipes”Search recipes by keywords, tags, cooking time, and rating. This is the main tool and the one your AI assistant will call most often.
Parameters
Section titled “Parameters”| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
query | string | Full-text search across recipe names, ingredients, and tags. Words are combined with OR by default. Use + for AND, - to exclude, and quotes for exact phrases. |
anyTags | string[] | Tags where any can match (OR logic). Format: type:value, e.g. cu:Italian, di:Vegetarian. |
requiredTags | string[] | Tags that must all match (AND logic). Format: type:value, e.g. ca:Dinner, me:Grilled. |
excludeTags | string[] | Tags to exclude. Format: type:value, e.g. di:Vegan to exclude vegan recipes. |
maxTimeMinutes | number | Maximum total cooking time in minutes. |
minRating | number | Minimum rating from 1 to 5 stars. |
limit | number | Number of results to return (default 15, max 15). |
offset | number | Offset for pagination. |
All parameters are optional. Calling searchRecipes with no parameters returns a general set of recipes.
How Search Works
Section titled “How Search Works”The query parameter searches across recipe names, ingredients, and tags simultaneously. Asking for “chicken” finds recipes with chicken in the name, ingredient list, or tags.
Tags use prefixes to indicate their category:
| Prefix | Category | Examples |
|---|---|---|
cu: | Cuisine | cu:Italian, cu:Japanese, cu:Mexican |
di: | Diet | di:Vegan, di:Gluten-Free, di:Keto |
ca: | Category | ca:Dinner, ca:Breakfast, ca:Dessert |
me: | Method | me:Grilled, me:Baked, me:Slow Cooker |
You don’t need to type these prefixes yourself. Tell your AI assistant what you want and it handles the formatting. If you say “Italian vegetarian dinner recipes,” it will use cu:Italian as a tag filter and di:Vegetarian as a required tag.
Example Prompts
Section titled “Example Prompts”- “Find vegetarian pasta recipes” — searches for “pasta” with a vegetarian diet filter
- “Quick weeknight dinners under 30 minutes” — uses the dinner category tag and maxTimeMinutes filter
- “Highly rated Thai recipes” — Thai cuisine tag with a minimum rating filter
- “Recipes with chicken and broccoli” — full-text search for both ingredients
- “Show me more results” — re-runs the previous search with an offset for pagination
What It Returns
Section titled “What It Returns”Each result includes the recipe name, source website, average rating, review count, total cooking time, and image URL (when available). On ChatGPT and Claude.ai, results appear as interactive cards. On other clients, results are formatted as text with links.
getRecipeDetail
Section titled “getRecipeDetail”Get full details for a specific recipe, including ingredients, description, and a link to the original source.
Parameters
Section titled “Parameters”| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
recipeId | string | The recipe ID (provided in search results). |
Example Prompts
Section titled “Example Prompts”- “Show me the full recipe for that lentil soup” — after a search, gets details for a specific result
- “What are the ingredients in that chicken tikka masala?” — fetches ingredient list
- “Tell me more about the first recipe” — gets details for a recipe from the previous search
What It Returns
Section titled “What It Returns”The full recipe includes the name, description, image, source URL (link to the original recipe on the creator’s website), average rating, review count, prep time, cook time, total time, yield, and a complete ingredient list. On ChatGPT and Claude.ai, this renders as an interactive detail card. On other clients, it’s formatted as text.
getTopTags
Section titled “getTopTags”Browse or search the available tags within a category. Use this to discover what filter values exist before running a search.
Parameters
Section titled “Parameters”| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
category | string | The tag category: cuisine, diet, category, method, or domain. Required. |
search | string | Search within the category (case-insensitive). |
limit | number | Number of results (default 50, max 100). |
offset | number | Offset for pagination. |
Example Prompts
Section titled “Example Prompts”- “What cuisines are available?” — lists top cuisine tags by recipe count
- “Do you have any keto recipes?” — searches the diet category for keto-related tags
- “What cooking methods can I filter by?” — lists available method tags
- “Show me all the Asian cuisines” — searches cuisine tags for Asian variants
- “What recipe sources do you have?” — lists domain tags (source websites)
What It Returns
Section titled “What It Returns”A list of tags within the category, each with a recipe count showing how many recipes match. Tags are sorted by popularity (most recipes first). Search results include all case variants of matching tags.
getFilterOptions
Section titled “getFilterOptions”Get a quick reference for how the search filter system works, including all available tag categories and their prefixes.
Parameters
Section titled “Parameters”None. This tool takes no parameters.
Example Prompts
Section titled “Example Prompts”- “What filters can I use?” — returns the full filter reference
- “How do I search by diet?” — explains the tag system and diet category
- “What search options are available?” — overview of all filtering capabilities
What It Returns
Section titled “What It Returns”A reference guide listing all tag categories (cuisine, diet, category, method, domain), their prefixes, and how the three filter modes work (any/OR, required/AND, exclude/NOT). Also covers the full-text search syntax (OR, AND with +, exclude with -, exact phrases with quotes).