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

Annotations cover the safety profile (readOnlyHint=true, openWorldHint=false), but the description adds real value beyond them: an authentication prerequisite, newest-first ordering, and delivery-conditional file links. It stops short of describing pagination or result-count limits for the list mode.

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?

One sentence, front-loaded with the primary list behavior before the single-order variant, and it wastes no words while still enumerating the payload.

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?

With an output schema present, return values need not be explained, yet the description still summarizes them usefully. The auth requirement and ordering are covered; only list-mode limits/pagination are left unaddressed, which is a minor gap for a read-only lookup.

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?

Schema description coverage is 100% and the single optional order_id is already documented as 'Omit to list recent orders.' The description's 'or one order' restates that contract without adding format or syntax detail, so baseline 3 applies.

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?

States a specific verb ('Shows') and resource ('the signed-in person's orders') and even enumerates the returned fields (status, items, price, delivery links). No sibling tool covers orders, so it is unambiguously distinguishable.

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?

The 'or one order' phrasing combined with 'Omit to list recent orders' implies the two modes, and 'Requires signing in' is a prerequisite. However, there is no explicit when-to-use guidance relative to neighbors like prepare_order or list_products, leaving context inferred.

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