Clerk

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

With no annotations, the description carries full responsibility for disclosing behavior. It only says 'Get', which implies a read-only operation, but it does not describe output format, error conditions, or whether the result is a single snippet or a bundle of patterns. The behavior remains largely opaque.

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?

The description is a single short sentence, making it concise and front-loaded. However, it is under-specified to the point of being generic; while no words are wasted, the sentence does not earn its place because it omits critical differentiation and usage details.

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?

Given the lack of annotations, output schema, and the simplicity of the schema, the description should compensate but does not. The description fails to explain what the tool returns, how the slug parameter works, or how it differs from listing snippets, leaving the context incomplete for an agent to invoke it 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 100% coverage with a detailed description of the 'slug' parameter, including examples of both snippet slugs and bundle names. The tool description adds no additional parameter meaning, so the score stays at the baseline of 3 given the high schema coverage.

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 ('Get') and resource ('Clerk SDK code snippets and patterns'), making the core purpose understandable. However, it does not differentiate from the sibling tool 'list_clerk_sdk_snippets' by specifying that this tool retrieves a specific snippet by slug rather than listing all snippets.

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 provided on when to use this tool versus the sibling list tool. The description gives no context about selecting a slug easily or when to use a snippet versus a bundle name. The lack of any usage instructions leaves the agent without direction for tool selection.

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

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

No annotations are provided, so the description must disclose behavioral traits. It states that it lists all snippets/bundles and supports filtering by tag, which is useful, but it does not mention pagination, response format, or whether the filter performs exact or partial matching. For a read-only list operation, this is adequate but not rich.

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?

The description is extremely concise: two short sentences that convey the core function and the filter capability. It is front-loaded with the main action and includes no filler or repetition, earning the maximum score.

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?

Given the simplicity of the tool (one optional parameter, no output schema) and the clear listing semantics, the description covers the essential aspects: what it lists (snippets and bundles) and how to narrow results. It does not mention alternative siblings or return details, but these are not critical for a list tool. Slight gap in not distinguishing from the singular sibling prevents a 5.

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 has 100% coverage for the single parameter 'tag' and already includes examples. The description reinforces the schema by stating 'Filter by tag to find specific functionality' but adds no new syntax or semantic details beyond what the schema provides. Thus, baseline 3 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 uses a specific verb ('List') and clearly identifies the resource ('all available Clerk SDK snippets and bundles'). It also distinguishes from the sibling tool 'clerk_sdk_snippet' by emphasizing the plural/listing nature and the 'bundles' scope.

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 description provides clear context for when to use this tool: when you need to list all snippets and optionally filter by tag. It does not explicitly mention when not to use it or name the sibling as an alternative, so it lacks a 5-level exclusion, but the 'Filter by tag' guidance gives solid usage context.

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