Change an order's status

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

Goes well beyond the annotations: no payment is touched, but status e-mails, stock handling and plugin hooks fire, and 'refunded' triggers an actual full refund recorded via wc_order_fully_refunded. It also discloses that no undo point is recorded, the required capabilities (manage_woocommerce, edit_shop_order), and that the note is added even when the status is unchanged — consistent with the destructive/non-idempotent hints.

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-loaded with the core action, and every clause carries real information useful to a destructive mutation. Structure suffers slightly because nearly all detail is packed into a single dense run-on with semicolons, making it harder to scan than a short bulleted breakdown would be.

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 names the return fields (updated, id, status, status_unchanged) and the not-found error case. Combined with permission requirements and side-effect disclosure, an agent has everything needed to call this safely and interpret the result.

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 the schema already documents all three parameters, establishing a baseline of 3. The description adds genuine meaning on top: 'refunded' is not just a label but a full-refund side effect, and the note parameter behaves per-call even when the status is unchanged.

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 ('set one order to one of the statuses this shop knows') with explicit single-order scope, which separates it from the bulk sibling wp_bulk_update_status. An agent knows exactly what operation is being performed and on how many objects.

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 context: use for one order, unknown statuses are refused with the list of known ones, and the shop's full status set (including plugin-registered ones) is accepted. It does not explicitly name wp_bulk_update_status as the alternative for multi-order changes, so routing is implied rather than stated.

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