get_semester_grades

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

Annotations already cover read-only/idempotent/non-destructive, and the description goes well beyond them: it pre-empts a false reading of `gpa: null` as zero during in-progress semesters, states login is required, and prescribes the NOT_AUTHENTICATED `recovery` retry path. This is exactly the extra context annotations cannot carry.

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?

Front-loads the purpose, then layers the important gotcha and the auth-recovery note as short, high-value sentences. Dense but every clause carries operational meaning, with only mild redundancy around semesterId's optionality.

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 no output schema, the description carries the burden of describing returns and does so for the non-obvious case (published:false, gpa:null, explanatory message), plus auth and cache behavior. An agent has what it needs to call and interpret this correctly.

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 100%, so both parameters are already documented at the field level; the description's note that semesterId is optional and defaults to the current semester largely repeats the schema. The `refresh` cache-bypass parameter is not mentioned at all, so no value is added there.

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 and resource (get grades) scoped to a specific semester, and enumerates the content (course-wise letter grades + GPA). That scoping distinguishes it from siblings like get_marks and get_grade_history without needing to name them.

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?

Gives clear operating conditions: semesterId is optional and omitted means current semester, and in-progress semesters are called out with expected output. It never names an alternative (e.g. get_grade_history for cumulative records), so the 'use this instead of X' dimension is left implicit.

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