Server Quality Checklist

Tool Scores

• start_timerB
  3.2/5.0
  Behavior2/5

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

  No annotations are provided, and the description does not disclose behavioral traits such as whether it overwrites an existing running timer, authentication needs (despite api_key parameter), or what the response contains. The output schema is present but not referenced, leaving significant gaps.

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

  Conciseness4/5

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

  The description is brief with two sentences and front-loads the primary action. However, the brevity sacrifices completeness; it could be slightly more informative without being verbose.

  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 no annotations, 4 parameters (1 required), and an output schema, the description fails to explain return values, authentication requirements, or behavior when a timer is already running. The sibling stop_timer suggests a lifecycle, but no guidance is provided, leaving it incomplete.

  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?

  With 0% schema description coverage, the description adds some meaning by linking 'task description' to the task parameter and 'comma-separated tags' to tags, but it does not explain the required project parameter or the api_key parameter, which is critical for authentication. The meaning is incomplete.

  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 'Start a time tracking timer for a project' with a specific verb and resource, and it distinguishes itself from sibling tools (get_report, list_entries, stop_timer) by being the only tool that starts a timer.

  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 use when starting a timer but gives no explicit guidance on when to use this versus alternatives, nor does it provide exclusions or prerequisites. The optional nature of task and tags is mentioned but no context for use.

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

• stop_timerB
  3.2/5.0
  Behavior2/5

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

  With no annotations, the description carries full burden. It discloses that the tool stops the timer, logs the entry, and accepts optional notes, but fails to mention behavioral traits like what happens if no timer is running (error?), whether the action is irreversible, or any permissions needed. Minimal disclosure for a mutation tool.

  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 a single short sentence, which is concise, but it sacrifices completeness. The core action is front-loaded, but important details about parameters and usage are missing. It could be restructured to include more info without being verbose.

  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 the tool's simplicity (2 optional params, no required fields, output schema exists), the description is somewhat adequate but lacks depth. It doesn't explain the return format or behavior edge cases. For a simple timer stop, it's minimally viable but leaves gaps.

  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 description must compensate. It explains the 'notes' parameter is optional and for adding notes, but completely omits the 'api_key' parameter, leaving its purpose and usage unclear. Only half the parameters get meaningful context.

  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 'stop' and resource 'timer', and distinguishes it from siblings like start_timer by specifying it stops the running timer. It explicitly says 'log the time entry' and 'optionally add notes', which is specific and unambiguous.

  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 does not explicitly state when to use this tool over alternatives or provide exclusions. It implies usage when a timer is running, but no guidance on prerequisites or conditions is given. Sibling names help infer context, but explicit direction is missing.

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

• list_entriesB
  3.3/5.0
  Behavior2/5

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

  No annotations are present, so the description must disclose all behavioral traits. It indicates a read operation via 'List' but does not mention ordering, what 'recent' means, authentication requirements (api_key param), or whether pagination beyond limit is possible. This lacks sufficient detail.

  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 core action, no filler. Highly efficient.

  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?

  The tool is simple, but completeness is hindered by missing details on ordering, recency definition, and auth. However, an output schema exists, so return value explanation is not needed. Adequate but with gaps.

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

  Parameters3/5

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

  Schema description coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate. It explains 'project' as optional filter and 'limit' with default 20, but fails to mention the 'api_key' parameter, leaving part of the schema unexplained.

  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 'List recent time entries' with optional filtering by project and a limit. The verb-resource pair is explicit, and the sibling tools (get_report, start_timer, stop_timer) are distinct in action, so no confusion.

  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 is provided on when to use this tool versus alternatives. The description does not mention exclusions or context, though the sibling tools differ in purpose.

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

• get_reportA
  3.6/5.0
  Behavior2/5

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

  No annotations are provided, so the description must carry behavioral info. It does not disclose whether the tool is read-only, safe, or requires authentication (api_key in schema suggests auth but not stated). The word 'generate' could imply creation, but likely it's a computation. This lack of clarity is a significant gap.

  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 two sentences long, front-loaded with the core action, and every part adds value. No redundant or vague phrases.

  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 that an output schema exists, the description does not need to detail return values. However, it lacks behavioral transparency and usage guidelines beyond basic purpose. For a tool with 3 parameters and no required fields, the description is minimally adequate but leaves gaps in auth and safety context.

  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%, meaning no parameters are described in the schema. The description only adds meaning to the 'project' parameter (optional filter). It does not explain 'days' (what range, default 7) or 'api_key' (required? purpose). With 0% coverage, the description should compensate but only partially does.

  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?

  Description clearly states that the tool generates a time report with optional project filtering and shows totals per project and per day. It distinguishes itself from sibling tools like list_entries, start_timer, and stop_timer, which perform different functions.

  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?

  Description explains when to use the tool (to generate a time report) and mentions optional project filtering. However, it does not explicitly exclude use cases or provide direct alternatives, though sibling names offer implicit guidance.

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