shelly_list_devices

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

The description repeats the readOnlyHint annotation ('Safe, read-only') and restates return fields that the output schema already documents. Its genuinely additive content is the source scope ('configured + cloud account'), which is modest but useful. No auth, pagination, or failure behavior is disclosed.

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 sentences, front-loaded with the scope-defining clause and with zero filler. Every phrase adds either scope or routing context.

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 an output schema present, the description needn't enumerate return values, and it correctly limits itself to source scope and sequencing. A short note distinguishing it from shelly_discover would make it airtight given the 40+ sibling surface.

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 zero parameters, so there is nothing to disambiguate and the schema carries no semantic load. Baseline 4 applies; no filtering or scoping arguments exist that would need explanation.

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 (list) and resource (Shelly devices) and scopes it precisely as 'configured + cloud account'. It stops short of naming the nearest siblings (shelly_discover, shelly_list_components, shelly_get_info), so an agent must infer the boundary itself.

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 starting point before any status or control call' gives clear contextual placement among the status/control siblings. However, it names no explicit alternative and no exclusion, so the agent gets direction without disambiguation.

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