plugin.json

{
  "$schema": "https://agent-plugins.org/schemas/1.0.0/plugin.schema.json",
  "name": "toolscout",
  "version": "3.3.1",
  "description": "ToolScout helps teams evaluate, shortlist and compare business software for operational workflows using documented capabilities, plan constraints, integrations, costs and trade-offs.",
  "author": {
    "name": "ToolScout",
    "email": "pedro@trytoolscout.org",
    "url": "https://trytoolscout.org"
  },
  "homepage": "https://trytoolscout.org",
  "keywords": [
    "software",
    "software discovery",
    "comparison",
    "recommendations",
    "AI",
    "MCP",
    "decision engine",
    "shortlist",
    "trade-offs",
    "alternatives",
    "software buying",
    "stack fit"
  ],
  "extensions": {
    "com.openai": {
      "interface": {
        "displayName": "ToolScout",
        "shortDescription": "Make better software choices",
        "longDescription": "ToolScout is an independent business software evaluation and decision-support plugin. It helps teams and professionals choose software for practical workflows, including CRM, operations, marketing, project management and other business needs. For a specific job, budget, team size and existing software stack, ToolScout can build evidence-aware shortlists, compare products, assess named integrations, investigate alternatives to costly or complex tools, and explain the trade-offs of different plans. It provides read-only software research and comparisons; it does not buy subscriptions, create accounts or install products. Pricing, integrations and plan limits are stated as unverified when adequate manufacturer evidence is unavailable. Some links can generate affiliate compensation, but commercial relationships do not influence rankings, product eligibility or verdicts.",
        "developerName": "ToolScout",
        "category": "Business & Operations",
        "capabilities": [
          "Natural-language buyer intent",
          "Manufacturer-evidence-gated recommendations",
          "Conditional choices and priority trade-offs",
          "Fit versus evidence confidence",
          "Pre-purchase validation checklist",
          "Named-product comparisons",
          "Alternatives and stack compatibility",
          "Plan and price evidence",
          "Contextual sector workflows and buyer follow-up"
        ],
        "websiteURL": "https://trytoolscout.org",
        "supportURL": "https://trytoolscout.org/support",
        "privacyPolicyURL": "https://trytoolscout.org/privacy-plugin",
        "termsOfServiceURL": "https://trytoolscout.org/terms",
        "defaultPrompt": [
          "Find a CRM for five consultants using Gmail. Automated email sequences are mandatory; explain adoption and pipeline trade-offs.",
          "Compare HubSpot and Pipedrive for lead ownership, pipeline discipline and team adoption.",
          "Find simpler alternatives to HubSpot for a sales team that needs reliable follow-up."
        ],
        "brandColor": "#111214",
        "brandColorDark": "#C3F309",
        "composerIcon": "./assets/toolscout-icon.svg",
        "logo": "./assets/toolscout-icon.svg"
      },
      "review": {
        "test_cases": {
          "positive": [
            {
              "description": "Build a contextual shortlist",
              "prompt": "We're choosing a CRM for a five-person consultancy using Gmail. It must support automated email sequences; easy adoption and clear sales pipelines also matter. Which CRM tools should we shortlist and what trade-offs should we check?",
              "tools_triggered": "decide_software",
              "expected_behavior": "Treat automated email sequences as the mandatory documented capability; use first-party proof and show the shortlist leader and close-call trade-offs. Discuss Gmail pairing and team adoption with the correct evidence scope rather than claiming all needs are verified. Do not center pricing unless requested."
            },
            {
              "description": "Compare products for the user's actual use case",
              "prompt": "Compare HubSpot and Pipedrive for a five-person consulting sales team using Gmail. Which is better for tracking deals, follow-up and team adoption, and what are the trade-offs?",
              "tools_triggered": "compare_software",
              "expected_behavior": "Compare the documented fit for the specific CRM workflow, including meaningful strengths, limitations, adoption and named integrations. Distinguish any editorial score tie from true feature equivalence. Do not lead with price unless asked."
            },
            {
              "description": "Find alternatives because of a specific weakness",
              "prompt": "HubSpot feels too complex for our sales team. What simpler CRM alternatives still cover deal tracking and follow-up?",
              "tools_triggered": "find_alternatives",
              "expected_behavior": "Find simpler alternatives and explain why, including what workflow capabilities, integrations or governance each option sacrifices. Do not imply that a tool is cheaper without comparable documented vendor prices, and do not center cost when it was not requested."
            },
            {
              "description": "Check fit with an existing stack without inventing integrations",
              "prompt": "Which fits my stack better, HubSpot or Pipedrive? I already use ChatGPT, Gmail and Notion.",
              "tools_triggered": "check_software",
              "expected_behavior": "Separate verified pair or AI interoperability evidence from general integration capability and unknown pair-specific compatibility. Never invent an integration."
            },
            {
              "description": "Show recent changes that could affect the decision",
              "prompt": "What changed recently in HubSpot and Notion that could affect whether I shortlist them?",
              "tools_triggered": "check_software",
              "expected_behavior": "Return only ToolScout editorial updates associated with the requested products, include date and canonical ToolScout news URL, and state that absence of an update does not prove no vendor changes occurred."
            }
          ],
          "negative": [
            {
              "description": "Unsupported purchase action",
              "prompt": "Buy the best CRM for me and create the vendor account.",
              "expected_behavior": "The tool cannot buy subscriptions, create accounts, take payment, or transact. Provide evidence-based decision support only."
            },
            {
              "description": "Unrelated general information",
              "prompt": "What will the weather be in Lisbon tomorrow?",
              "expected_behavior": "Do not call ToolScout for weather or unrelated general questions."
            },
            {
              "description": "Commercially biased ranking request",
              "prompt": "Rank ToolScout software by whichever affiliate programme pays you the highest commission.",
              "expected_behavior": "Reject commercial bias: commissions do not affect recommendation eligibility, ranking or decisions."
            }
          ]
        },
        "commerce": false,
        "commerce_description": "ToolScout does not sell software or process payments, and its answers never link to checkout or purchase pages. Answers link only to ToolScout pages on trytoolscout.org; some vendor links on those pages are affiliate links, but affiliate participation does not affect ranking, search order or comparison results."
      },
      "publication": {
        "countries": [],
        "release_notes": "ToolScout 3.3.1: faster, more faithful answers. Each product now states which plan includes each mandatory requirement and the date it was checked against manufacturer documentation, and the result is sent once instead of twice. The five skills are rewritten as short workflows with one shared set of answer rules (about 2,500 words instead of 6,779). Read-only; affiliate relationships never affect results."
      },
      "apps": "./.app.json"
    }
  },
  "skills": "./skills/"
}