> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.nvidia.com/nemoclaw/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.nvidia.com/nemoclaw/_mcp/server.

# Configure Progressive Tool Disclosure

> Understand and configure how NemoClaw agents discover tools without loading every schema into model context.

Progressive tool disclosure limits the tool schemas placed in the model's initial context.
Each supported agent keeps its native discovery mechanism and configuration schema.

## Compare Agent Behavior

The keys, tool names, and result limits are not interchangeable across agents.

| Agent            | NemoClaw-generated mechanism                                                         | Default results | Maximum results |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------: | --------------: |
| OpenClaw         | `tools.toolSearch.mode: "tools"` with `searchDefaultLimit` and `maxSearchLimit`      |               8 |              20 |
| Hermes           | `tools.tool_search.enabled: "on"` with `search_default_limit` and `max_search_limit` |               5 |              20 |
| Deep Agents Code | NemoClaw `ProgressiveToolDisclosureMiddleware` and the `search_tools` model tool     |        Up to 20 |              20 |

Progressive disclosure changes model context, not authorization.
Final tool calls still use the agent's normal execution, policy, approval, and hook paths.

## Understand OpenClaw Tool Search

OpenClaw uses `mode: "tools"` to select its structured bridge instead of the JavaScript-based `tool_search_code` bridge.
A model-specific `toolSearch: false` override disables Tool Search entirely.

NemoClaw's generated default exposes `tool_search`, `tool_describe`, and `tool_call` through structured Tool Search.
Managed Nemotron Super and Ultra routes retain model-specific `toolSearch: false` safeguards and use direct structured tool calling until a live structured-search trajectory clears the replacement.

In the model-specific manifest contract, `false` disables Tool Search while `true` selects OpenClaw's default code mode.
Neither boolean selects structured mode.

## Understand Hermes Tool Search

Hermes uses its native tool-search bridge when `enabled: "on"` and the session has at least one deferrable MCP or non-core plugin tool.
Hermes core tools remain directly visible.

## Understand Deep Agents Tool Search

Deep Agents Code activates its middleware after at least one MCP tool loads successfully.
It initially exposes `search_tools` and the core filesystem, shell, user-input, and todo tools.

Each search returns up to 20 name-sorted tools whose names or descriptions match case-insensitively.
The graph thread retains up to 64 discovered named tools.
Search output is limited to 8 KiB, individual descriptions to 256 characters, individual tool-name representations to 120 bytes, individual named schemas to 16 KiB, and the discovered schemas visible in one model request to 128 KiB.

Named tools that exceed the name or schema limits are not discoverable, while core tools remain visible.
When a broad query exceeds a result or state limit, `search_tools` reports omitted matches so the model can refine the query.

Provider-native definitions without a callable name remain visible because the middleware cannot search or checkpoint them by name.
Main-agent and local-subagent discoveries use separate middleware instances.

## Use Direct Disclosure

Use direct disclosure when you want to present every registered tool to the model.

```bash
nemo-deepagents onboard --tool-disclosure direct
```

You can also set `NEMOCLAW_TOOL_DISCLOSURE=direct` before onboarding.

For an existing sandbox with managed MCP servers, rebuild with the direct setting.

```bash
nemo-deepagents <name> rebuild --tool-disclosure direct
```

The transactional rebuild preserves MCP providers and adapter state while changing the disclosure mode.
An explicit direct selection is authoritative.
Model-specific safety settings can disable progressive search for a model, but cannot re-enable it over the direct selection.

## Related Topics

* [Set Up MCP Servers](../manage-sandboxes/set-up-mcp-servers) to configure the tool sources available to the agent.