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

No annotations are supplied, so the description carries the burden. It does add real behavioral content: the operation fires all enabled hunters and is explicitly reversible via sdr_pause_search. It omits whether activation consumes credits, requires specific permissions, or what happens if the search is already active.

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 tight sentences with the action front-loaded and the reversibility clause second. No filler, and the ordering matches what an agent needs (what it does, then that it can be undone).

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?

For a mutating activate tool with no annotations and no output schema, the description covers the key effect and reversibility, which is the most important context. It still leaves cost/permission implications and the already-active case unstated.

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?

One required parameter exists with 0% schema description coverage, so the description must compensate and does not. It never states that 'id' is the signal search identifier or where to obtain it, leaving the parameter semantics entirely to inference.

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?

Specific verb+resource: it sets a search to active and starts its hunters, so an agent can tell this is an enable/start action rather than a create or update. However it does not differentiate itself from the nearby sibling sdr_resume_search, which is also a start-type action on a search.

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 inverse operation is named (sdr_pause_search), which implies when to use this versus its counterpart. There is no guidance on when to prefer sdr_activate_search over sdr_resume_search or sdr_run_now, despite those siblings existing in the same family.

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