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Sweep 02 Oct 2026 · 18:55Z Build v2.1.288 509 read Stable v2.1.285 Latest v2.1.288 Next v2.1.288 Feeds RSS JSON llms.txt llms-full.txt Unofficial

Claude Code v2.1.280 ·

New inline tool definitions for tools added mid-conversation

Tools added after a conversation starts can now be announced to the model with their full schema instead of just a name

Group of 3 Nothing to try yet Internal Changes
JSON All of v2.1.280
Nothing to try yetTier: how much it should matter to you
3Useful: my rating, 1 to 5
3Signal: worth watching, 1 to 5
Tool ListingArea: what it touches
Internal ChangesKind: in v2.1.280,
In DevelopmentSection of the release

What

  • Message normalization gained an inlineToolDefinitions option: when enabled and tool metadata is available, newly-added tools are announced to the model as full tool_definition blocks (including schema) instead of bare tool_reference names, with a fallback path (inlineToolsFallback) that strips this back to name-only announcements when needed.
  • Internal bookkeeping now tracks which tool additions were defined inline "by value" versus just named on the wire (definedByValue, a byValueNames set), used to decide how each tool addition is announced.
  • The behavior is controlled by a new inline_tools gate that layers on top of the existing mid_conv_tool_change gate, adding a second capability tag to the announced feature list and controlling whether inline tool declarations are surfaced or refused mid-conversation, with new state tracking refusals (inlineToolsRefusal.rejectedHeader, inlineToolsRefusal.announcementsByName).

Why Previously, tools added partway through a conversation were only referenced by name, which could leave the model without enough information (such as the tool's schema) to use them correctly. This lets the model see a tool's full definition when it's added later, when the feature is enabled.

How sure we are
Something disagreesSomething we can check disagrees with this entry, or the writer said they could not settle it.
The writer flagged doubtThe finding doesn't state what practical difference this distinction makes to users.

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