Misunderstanding Tool Manifest & Discovery

A frequent source of frustration in Opal tool development stems from misconfigurations or misunderstandings related to the tool manifest and the discovery process. If Opal cannot correctly discover your tool or interpret its capabilities, the tool will not function as expected within the platform.

Incorrect Parameter Definitions: A common error involves defining parameters incorrectly within the tool's manifest. This can manifest as using the wrong data types (e.g., expecting a string but receiving a number), failing to mark required parameters, or providing unclear and ambiguous descriptions. When parameter definitions are inaccurate, Opal's AI may struggle to correctly infer how to use your tool, or users may provide invalid inputs, leading to runtime errors. It is crucial to ensure that the name, type, description, and required properties for each parameter accurately reflect the tool's expected inputs.

Discovery Endpoint Inaccessibility: The /discovery endpoint is the handshake mechanism between your tool service and the Optimizely Opal platform. If this endpoint is not publicly accessible, returns HTTP errors (e.g., 404 Not Found, 500 Internal Server Error), or is misconfigured (e.g., due to Cross-Origin Resource Sharing - CORS issues), Opal will be unable to find and register your tool. Developers must ensure that their tool service exposes this endpoint correctly and that it is reachable from the Optimizely environment.

Malformed Manifest: The tool manifest is a structured declaration, typically in JSON format, that describes your tool's capabilities. Any syntax errors, missing critical fields, or adherence to an incorrect schema within this manifest will prevent Opal from properly registering the tool. While SDKs often automate manifest generation, understanding the expected structure is vital for debugging issues when they arise.

Tool Name/Key Conflicts: Each tool within an Opal registry must have a unique name or key. Using duplicate tool names or keys can lead to conflicts, where Opal may register only one instance of the tool or behave unpredictably. Ensure that the programmatic name assigned to your tool is unique within the context of its deployment.

This module is designed to help you avoid common traps and challenges when developing Optimizely Opal tools. By understanding these pitfalls, you can build more robust, efficient, and secure solutions from the outset. Proactive awareness of these issues will save significant time and effort during development, debugging, and maintenance.

By the end of this module, you will be able to,

• Identify frequent mistakes that can impact tool performance, security, and maintainability.

• Apply best practices to prevent issues and streamline development and debugging.