List menus

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, destructiveHint=false and closedWorld, so safety is covered structurally. The description adds genuinely new context: the required capability edit_theme_options, and the shape of the payload including the meaning of count as number of items.

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. The positive statement of what is returned comes first, then the read-only/permission note, then the alternative — all front-loaded where the agent needs it.

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 return-shape burden and does so by naming the fields and the enclosing key. Permission requirement and the sibling alternative are both disclosed, leaving nothing an agent needs in order to call 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?

The tool takes zero parameters, so there is nothing for the description to disambiguate; baseline 4 applies. The description correctly implies the tool is unfiltered and returns everything at once.

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 ("List the navigation menus of this site") plus the exact returned fields (id, name, slug, count) and the wrapper key (menus). It is immediately distinguishable from the sibling wp_get_menu, which is named as the item-level counterpart.

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?

"all at once" signals there is no pagination or filtering, and the final sentence routes the agent to wp_get_menu when it actually wants the items inside a menu. There are no explicit exclusions or prerequisites for calling this over other list tools, but the relevant alternative is named with its trigger condition.

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