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

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. While 'modify' implies a mutation operation, the description doesn't address important behavioral aspects: whether this requires specific permissions, if changes are reversible, what happens to existing metadata not mentioned, rate limits, or error conditions. It provides basic parameter information but lacks operational context.

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?

The description is appropriately concise with a clear purpose statement followed by a parameter list. The structure is logical and front-loaded. However, the parameter explanations are somewhat redundant with the schema descriptions, and the formatting as a code block with 'Args:' header is slightly verbose.

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 mutation tool with 8 parameters and no annotations, the description is minimally adequate. It covers the basic purpose and parameters but lacks important context about permissions, side effects, error handling, and relationship to sibling tools. The existence of an output schema helps, but the description doesn't reference it or explain what successful modification looks like.

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 description lists all 8 parameters with brief explanations, but the input schema already provides good coverage (75%) with detailed descriptions for most parameters. The description adds minimal value beyond what's in the schema - it doesn't explain parameter interactions, constraints beyond what's in schema descriptions, or provide examples. With high schema coverage, the baseline is 3.

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?

The description clearly states the tool's purpose: 'Modify an episode's metadata.' It specifies the verb ('modify') and resource ('episode's metadata'), making it easy to understand what the tool does. However, it doesn't explicitly differentiate this from sibling tools like 'create_episode' or 'schedule_episode', which prevents a perfect score.

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 description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives. There's no mention of prerequisites, when-not-to-use scenarios, or comparisons with sibling tools like 'create_episode' or 'schedule_episode'. The agent must infer usage from the tool name alone.

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