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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, and destructiveHint, covering safety. The description adds behavioral context beyond annotations: output is in board order, includes delegation recipient and since when, and is scoped to the Waiting For column. No contradiction with annotations.

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?

Three concise sentences: trigger conditions, output format, and exclusion. Each sentence adds distinct value, front-loads the usage guidance, and is compact with no verbosity.

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?

Complete for a simple read-only listing tool with no parameters and no output schema. The description covers trigger conditions, behavior, output details, and alternative selection, leaving no ambiguity for an agent to invoke 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 tool has zero parameters, so schema coverage is trivially 100%, and the baseline for zero-parameter tools is 4. The description adds no parameter-specific info because none exist, which is appropriate.

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 specific verb ('Lists') and resource ('Waiting For column') and details the output (each card with who it is delegated to and since when). It also explicitly differentiates from sibling list_next_actions by saying 'Do not use for the user's own tasks (list_next_actions).'

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?

Provides explicit trigger conditions: 'when the user asks who they are waiting on, what they have delegated, or what to follow up on with other people.' It also gives a clear when-not and names the alternative: 'Do not use for the user's own tasks (list_next_actions).'

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