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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden. It discloses the returned fields and the meaning of the 'live' flag, which is useful, but says nothing about read-only safety, pagination, freshness, or how a missing city filter behaves.

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?

A single sentence, front-loaded with the database scope and then the concrete returned fields and the 'live' routing hint. Every clause carries information; only the bracketed database preface is mildly redundant.

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 no output schema and no annotations, the description usefully enumerates what the list contains and explains the 'live' field's significance. For a one-optional-parameter list tool this is close to sufficient, though freshness/ordering remain 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?

Schema description coverage is 100% and the single optional 'city' parameter is already documented with examples in the schema, so baseline 3 applies. The description text does not mention the city filter at all, adding no meaning beyond structured data.

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+resource: a list of Taiwan cinemas, with the fields it returns (name, chain, city, address). It also signals the routing rule that cinemas with a non-empty 'live' field are the ones whose online showtimes can be queried, which distinguishes it from the showtime siblings without naming them explicitly.

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 clause about 'live' cinemas implies a downstream path to a showtimes tool, but it never states when to use this list versus get_cinema_showtimes or upcoming_showtimes_in_city, nor any prerequisites. Usage is inferable but not spelled out.

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