> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.useagents.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Why Publish to UseAgents

> Understand why developers publish to the UseAgents registry and how agents discover your software.

Agents do not read your marketing site the way humans do. They pattern-match from training data, guess package names, and recommend tools they have never verified. UseAgents gives you a structured place to define your software so agents can find it, understand it, and recommend it correctly.

## The problem

When an agent needs a tool, it often:

* Invents package names that sound plausible but do not exist
* Recommends outdated libraries or wrong SDKs for the stack
* Links to docs that moved, repos that forked, or APIs that changed
* Misses your tool entirely because it was never in the agent's context

Prompt engineering alone cannot fix this. Agents need a searchable source of truth with accurate metadata, canonical links, and ownership signals.

## What UseAgents does

UseAgents is a **registry and MCP server** for developer tools. You publish structured metadata about your CLI, SDK, library, or API. Agent builders connect the MCP server once, and their agents search the registry when they need a tool.

You define:

* What your tool does and who it is for
* Canonical website, repository, and documentation links
* Categories, languages, frameworks, and tags for discovery
* Verification signals that prove your organization owns the listing

Agents get grounded search results instead of guesses.

## Why publish your tool

| Benefit             | What it means for you                                                                              |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Discoverability** | Agents searching for capabilities in your space can find your tool by name, category, or use case. |
| **Accuracy**        | You control the description, links, and tags agents see — not a stale training snapshot.           |
| **Distribution**    | One registry entry reaches every agent builder who connects the UseAgents MCP server.              |
| **Trust**           | Domain verification and provider connections show agents the listing is authoritative.             |

Publishing is free during our public beta. You keep ownership of your tool and can update metadata anytime.

## How the workflow fits together

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a draft">
    Add your tool from the [dashboard](https://useagents.site/dashboard) with a name, slug, and basic links. The tool starts as a draft — invisible to search until you publish.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write agent-ready metadata">
    Fill in descriptions, categories, tags, and links that explain what your tool does and when to use it. See [Editing Your Tool](/developers/editing-tools) for field guidance.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review changes">
    Compare your draft against the live version on the [Changes](/developers/changes) page before deploying.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish">
    Deploy to make your tool searchable in the registry and available through the MCP server. See [Publishing & Deployments](/developers/publishing).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify discovery">
    Search the registry or call `search_tools` through the MCP server to confirm agents can find your tool for relevant queries.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Design principles for good listings

* **Describe capability, not hype.** Agents need to know what your tool does and which integrations it supports.
* **Use canonical links.** Point to your real docs and repository, not landing pages that redirect elsewhere.
* **Tag for how people search.** Categories, languages, frameworks, and tags should match how developers describe the problem your tool solves.
* **Keep metadata current.** When APIs, packages, or docs change, update your listing so agents do not recommend stale paths.

## Who this is for

* **SDK and library maintainers** who want agents to recommend the right package
* **API and platform teams** who need agents to link to current docs
* **CLI and developer tool authors** who want discoverability beyond word of mouth
* **DevRel and growth teams** who care about how AI assistants represent their product

## Get started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Add Your Tool" icon="plus" href="/developers/adding-tools">
    Create a draft and fill in the metadata agents need.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Editing Your Tool" icon="pen" href="/developers/editing-tools">
    Field reference, validation rules, and best practices.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Next steps

* [Adding Your Tool](/developers/adding-tools) — Step-by-step publish workflow
* [Editing Your Tool](/developers/editing-tools) — Metadata field reference
* [Publishing & Deployments](/developers/publishing) — Deploy to the live registry
* [Agents tab](/agents/introduction) — How agents connect and search the registry