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

The annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, destructiveHint=false and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds that the results carry slugs usable as filters, but says nothing about whether the list is fixed or user-specific, whether slugs are stable identifiers, or what fields each entry returns despite there being no output schema.

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 short sentences, front-loaded with the tool's purpose and followed by the actionable next step. Nothing is redundant and every clause earns its place.

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 zero-parameter, read-only enumeration with no output schema, the description supplies enough to call it and to use the result. The remaining gap is minor: it never defines what a beat is or sketches the returned entries beyond their slug field.

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 takes no parameters, so the schema imposes nothing to explain and the baseline applies. The description correctly spends its words on the output's usable field (slug) rather than inventing parameter detail.

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?

"List the beats Agentry covers" gives a specific verb and resource, and the follow-up sentence clarifies that this is a reference/enumeration tool feeding search_stories. The domain term "beat" is never explained, but the tool's role is unambiguous to an agent that knows the catalog.

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 states the downstream use explicitly: take the slug and pass it as the beat filter to search_stories. No when-not guidance is given, but with zero parameters and no plausible alternative tool for enumerating beats, there is little to exclude.

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