HN Pulse

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

With minimal annotations (only title), description carries burden of behavioral disclosure. It reveals the hierarchical comment structure (top comments vs replies) which hints at the nested data returned, but omits safety hints (read-only), error behavior (404 for invalid ID), or rate limiting.

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?

Single efficient sentence (12 words), front-loaded with verb. No redundancy or filler. Every clause earns its place by conveying scope (full details) and key data categories.

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?

Appropriate for a fetch-by-ID tool with output schema present. Covers primary return fields. Minor gap: doesn't hint at error cases (story not found, private/deleted stories) or authentication requirements implied by the API.

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 coverage is 100% so baseline is 3. Description mentions 'top comments' which reinforces the max_comments parameter semantics, but adds no syntax guidance (e.g., integer format) or clarifications beyond what schema already provides.

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?

Clear verb (Get) and resource (Hacker News story), with specific fields enumerated (title, URL, score, comments). Uses singular 'story' implying lookup by ID vs siblings that return lists, though explicit differentiation from list-fetching siblings (GetTopStories, GetNewStories) is absent.

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 provided on when to use this vs sibling tools. Missing crucial workflow context: that this requires a story_id likely obtained from GetTopStories/GetNewStories/HnPulse_SearchStories, and no mention of required parameter constraints beyond the schema.

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