Cutting a Research Agent From 12 Tools to 3 Boosted Success Rate From 52% to 84%
Such_Reflection8996 · reddit · 2026-11-15
A developer reports that trimming a research agent from 12 tools to 3 raised success on their test set from 52% to 84%.
The rebuilt agent uses just three tools: web search, a notes store, and a document generator (Gamma's API) to package findings. System prompt rules are minimal: research until you have 5 sourced claims, write notes then call the document tool exactly once, and drop any claim without a source. The takeaway: with fewer tools the model makes fewer wrong choices, and constraints buy reliability.
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