Server Quality Checklist

Tool Scores

• accept_handoffC
  2.4/5.0
  Behavior2/5

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

  With no annotations, the description carries full burden. It only says 'accepts + signs' without explaining mutability, permissions, or side effects. Lacks details on what 'completing the chain' entails.

  Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

  Conciseness3/5

  Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

  Extremely short at 6 words, but cryptic wording ('accepts + signs') and lack of structure reduce clarity. Conciseness is not an asset here.

  Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

  Completeness2/5

  Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

  Given 4 parameters, no annotations, and an output schema, the description is incomplete. Does not explain return values or usage context. Should provide more detail for a handoff acceptance tool.

  Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

  Parameters1/5

  Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

  Schema description coverage is 0%, but the description fails to explain any parameters. For 4 parameters (2 required), no information is provided about handoff_id, accepting_agent_id, etc.

  Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

  Purpose4/5

  Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

  The description states 'Receiving agent accepts + signs. Completes the chain.' which clearly identifies the action (accept and sign) and the resource (handoff chain). It distinguishes from sibling tools like 'initiate_handoff' by implying finality.

  Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

  Usage Guidelines2/5

  Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

  No guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives like 'sign_handoff_chain_attestation'. No context about prerequisites or conditions.

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

• sign_handoff_chain_attestationC
  2.4/5.0
  Behavior2/5

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

  No annotations provided, so the description must disclose behavioral traits. It mentions 'signed attestation' implying a write/mutation, but doesn't clarify side effects, required permissions (e.g., api_key/email usage), or whether it's destructive. With no annotations, the description is insufficient.

  Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

  Conciseness2/5

  Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

  While very short (one sentence), it sacrifices informativeness. It lacks structure (no sections, examples, or parameter details) and is under-specified rather than efficiently concise.

  Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

  Completeness2/5

  Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

  Given 5 parameters, no schema descriptions, and no annotations, the description should compensate but fails. Output schema exists but is not described. The tool's purpose and usage context remain unclear for an AI agent to correctly invoke.

  Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

  Parameters1/5

  Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

  Input schema has 5 parameters with 0% schema description coverage. The description adds no information about any parameter meanings, formats, or purposes, forcing the agent to rely solely on parameter names, which are ambiguous (e.g., window_start_utc format not specified).

  Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

  Purpose4/5

  Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

  The description clearly states the tool emits a signed attestation for handoff chain integrity over a window, distinguishing it from siblings like accept_handoff or verify_chain. However, the verb 'emit' is somewhat abstract and 'Pro+' is ambiguous.

  Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

  Usage Guidelines2/5

  Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

  No guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives. The description lacks context about prerequisites, exclusions, or scenarios where other tools should be preferred.

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

• verify_chainC
  2.7/5.0
  Behavior2/5

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

  No annotations provided, so the description bears full burden. It states it returns full trace and integrity status but fails to disclose side effects, authentication needs, or rate limits. Minimal behavioral disclosure.

  Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

  Conciseness3/5

  Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

  The description is concise but overly terse. It is front-loaded but omits necessary parameter details, making it insufficient for effective usage.

  Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

  Completeness2/5

  Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

  Given the absence of annotations and a 0% schema coverage, the description is incomplete. It does not explain the context for verification, required inputs, or behavioral implications, despite having an output schema.

  Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

  Parameters1/5

  Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

  Schema description coverage is 0%, and the description does not explain the parameters (handoff_id, api_key). The agent receives no guidance on what values to provide or their purpose.

  Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

  Purpose5/5

  Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

  The description clearly states the action 'Re-verify the handoff signatures' and the resource 'handoff', differentiating it from sibling tools like accept_handoff or list_handoffs.

  Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

  Usage Guidelines2/5

  Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

  No guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives, no prerequisites or conditions mentioned. The description lacks explicit context for usage.

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

• list_handoffsB
  3.4/5.0
  Behavior2/5

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

  No annotations are provided, so the description carries full burden. It does not disclose behavioral traits such as pagination, ordering, permissions, or whether the operation is read-only. This lacks essential transparency for an agent.

  Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

  Conciseness5/5

  Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

  The description is a single, clear sentence with no wasted words. It front-loads the core purpose and is efficiently structured.

  Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

  Completeness3/5

  Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

  Given 4 parameters and an output schema, the description covers the basic purpose but lacks details on pagination, error handling, or usage patterns. It is minimally adequate but not complete for robust agent decision-making.

  Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

  Parameters2/5

  Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

  The schema has 4 parameters with 0% description coverage. The description only adds meaning for 'status_filter' via 'optionally filtered by status'. No explanation for 'tenant_id', 'limit', or 'api_key' is provided, leaving gaps.

  Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

  Purpose5/5

  Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

  The description clearly states the verb 'List' and the resource 'handoffs', with specific context 'for a tenant' and optional filtering by status. It effectively distinguishes from sibling tools like accept_handoff and initiate_handoff, which have different actions.

  Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

  Usage Guidelines3/5

  Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

  The description implies usage for listing handoffs, but does not provide explicit guidance on when to use vs. alternatives, or any exclusions. Since sibling tools are clearly different, the context is adequate but minimal.

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

• initiate_handoffA
  3.9/5.0
  Behavior4/5

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

  With no annotations, the description discloses key behavioral traits: the tool returns a signed offer tied to an expiry, and the handoff requires a follow-up call. This goes beyond the schema and gives the agent essential timing and protocol information.

  Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

  Conciseness5/5

  Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

  Two sentences, front-loaded with the primary action and return values. Every sentence adds essential information without fluff. The structure is efficient and easy to parse.

  Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

  Completeness2/5

  Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

  Given the high parameter count (7), 0% schema coverage, and no output schema details beyond a brief mention, the description fails to contextualize most parameters. It explains the high-level handoff flow but omits crucial details like the role of context_json, api_key, and tenant_id, leaving significant gaps for an agent to invoke the tool correctly.

  Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

  Parameters2/5

  Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

  Schema description coverage is 0%, so the description must clarify parameters. It only mentions the 'expires_in_seconds' concept implicitly in the second sentence, but provides no meaning for common parameters like tenant_id, from_agent, to_agent, task, context_json, or api_key. This leaves the agent lacking understanding of what each parameter represents.

  Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

  Purpose5/5

  Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

  The description explicitly states 'Initiating agent offers a task', using a specific verb and identifying the resource (a handoff). It also mentions the return values (handoff_id + signed offer), clearly distinguishing this tool from the sibling 'accept_handoff' which receives the offer.

  Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

  Usage Guidelines4/5

  Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

  The description indicates that this tool is for the initiating agent and that the receiving agent must subsequently call accept_handoff, providing clear context for when to use this tool. However, it does not explicitly contrast with other siblings like list_handoffs or verify_chain, so guidance is good but not exhaustive.

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