search_secrets

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

With no annotations, the description carries the full behavioral burden. It usefully discloses that no secret values are returned and that provider_name=builtin enables local-only access during an outage, but it omits permissions, result limits, pagination, and ordering behavior.

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?

Three short sentences, front-loaded with the core purpose. The outage fallback and no-values guarantee are each stated compactly and every sentence adds useful information.

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 three-parameter tool with no annotations and no output schema, the description is under-specified. It lacks space_id semantics, result limits/pagination, and whether an empty query returns everything, which an agent needs to invoke it 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 description coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate. It loosely maps query to name/folder/website/hostname and gives one special provider_name value, but it never explains space_id and does not clarify query syntax or empty-query behavior.

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: search global secret metadata, with the searchable fields enumerated (name, folder, website address, hostname). It also clarifies metadata-only scope by saying no values are returned, though it does not explicitly distinguish itself from sibling get_secret_metadata.

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 implies use for searching secret metadata and gives one explicit operational condition: provider_name=builtin for local-only access during a vault outage. It does not say when to use this instead of get_secret_metadata or reveal_secret, nor does it state exclusions.

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