Get Calendar Events

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=true, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds genuinely useful scope context beyond that: it is the Brightspace course calendar, and it includes due-date events in addition to posted events, which matters given overlapping siblings like get_upcoming_due_dates. It does not cover result ordering or pagination behavior, a minor gap.

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?

Three compact sentences: what it returns, when to call it, and which sibling to prefer instead. Zero filler and the scoping information is front-loaded.

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 read-only, no-required-param query tool with a fully documented schema and no output schema, the definition covers purpose, triggers, and the sibling boundary. The one thing not addressed is what the returned events look like or how they are ordered, which an agent might want before formatting results.

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%, so all four parameters (search, courseId, daysBack, daysAhead) are already documented in the schema. The description adds no extra syntax or semantics for them, so the baseline 3 applies.

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 (events from the Brightspace course calendar) and enumerates the content types it returns (exams, tests, labs, classes, office hours, due dates). It also explicitly distinguishes itself from sibling get_todo.

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?

Gives concrete trigger conditions ('when the user asks when an exam or test is, what is on their schedule, or what is happening on a day') and names the alternative to use for a different need ('for what work is left to hand in, use get_todo instead'). When-to-use and when-not-to-use are both explicit.

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