Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It mentions that verification fails if the API drifted or the certificate was forged, which is useful, but it does not describe success behavior, output format, side effects (if any), permissions required, or rate limits. The description is incomplete for a tool with zero annotation coverage.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two concise sentences with no fluff. The primary action is front-loaded, and the failure condition is stated efficiently. Every word earns its place.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

The tool lacks an output schema and annotations. The description does not specify what a successful verification returns, what the failure response looks like, or any prerequisites (e.g., the certificate must already exist). Given the complexity of a verification task, this is a significant gap for an agent to invoke the tool correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The schema provides descriptions for both parameters (certificate and api) at 100% coverage, so the description adds minimal semantic value beyond the schema. It does not explain the relationship between the parameters or any format requirements, but the baseline of 3 is appropriate because the schema already documents both parameters.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description states a clear verb-resource pair: 're-verify a governance certificate against the API it attests to.' This distinguishes it from certify_api (which would create certificates) and validate_api (which validates API behavior, not certificates). However, it does not explicitly name any alternative tool, so it falls short of full sibling differentiation.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

No guidance is given on when to use this tool versus alternatives. It does not mention scenarios where re-verification is appropriate (e.g., after an API change) nor does it reference sibling tools like certify_api or validate_api. The user must infer usage from the description alone.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.