launch_app

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

No annotations exist, so the description carries the full burden. It does disclose two real behaviors beyond the schema: the app is brought to the foreground, and when captureLogs is set, console output is buffered for get_app_logs (an explicit handoff to a sibling). It omits error/precondition behavior (app not installed, already running) and what is returned.

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, zero filler, with the primary action front-loaded and the secondary logging behavior following. Nothing here is redundant with the schema.

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 6-parameter, no-annotation, no-output-schema tool with a nested environment object, the description covers the core action and one parameter's side effect but leaves launch arguments, environment injection semantics, and return value unexplained.

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 coverage is 33%, so some description compensation is required. The description explains captureLogs' effect and its link to logLevel ('console output'), which is genuinely additive since captureLogs itself has no schema description. However, device, arguments, environment, and the bundleId format remain undocumented anywhere.

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?

Specific verb+resource: 'Launch (or relaunch) an app in the foreground' tells the agent exactly what the tool does, including the relaunch semantic. It doesn't distinguish itself from siblings like install_app or open_url, so it stops short of 5.

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?

No guidance on when to use this versus install_app, open_url, or whether terminate_app should precede a relaunch. The parenthetical '(or relaunch)' implies a usage path but never states it as guidance.

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