Tool Definition Bloat: The Hidden Cost for Agents
TheZachMueller · x · 2026-07-19
The author shares a viewpoint from the Kimi team: when an application requires many tools, dumping them all into the top-level tools field causes "Tool Definition Bloat." Every request then carries the descriptions and parameter schemas for all tools, leading to significant token waste.
Furthermore, the more tool candidates there are, the easier it is for the model to choose the wrong one or generate invalid parameters. The post includes an image of a toolbox with 30+ bits where only 5 are actually used, perfectly illustrating this redundancy.
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