Preview an event-driven data reduction

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

Beyond the annotations (readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, destructiveHint), the description details the operational behavior: 'Detects the rising-edge events where a SQL predicate becomes true on a topic, builds pre/post windows around them, merges overlaps, and reports how much data would be kept.' This substantially enriches understanding of what the tool does during the dry-run.

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?

The description is three sentences, front-loaded with the most critical information ('Dry-run... WITHOUT writing any files'), and each sentence adds meaningful detail—purpose, mechanism, and usage. There is no redundancy or padding.

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?

The description covers purpose, behavior, and usage, which is strong for a moderately complex tool with an output schema. However, the lack of explanation for `path` and `args` creates a small completeness gap, especially given the schema carries no descriptions.

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 description provides contextual meaning for key parameters: predicate ('SQL predicate'), event_topic ('on a topic'), pre_seconds/post_seconds ('pre/post windows'), and debounce_seconds ('merges overlaps'). However, it does not explain `path` (a required parameter) or `args` at all, and with 0% schema description coverage, this gap leaves the agent guessing about those parameters.

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?

The description opens with a specific verb ('Dry-run') and resource ('event-windowed reduction'), and explicitly states the key scope: 'WITHOUT writing any files.' This distinguishes it from sibling tools like run_pipeline and run_pipeline_batch, which presumably execute rather than preview.

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 gives explicit when-to-use guidance: 'Use this to audit a reduce/snippet pipeline before running it.' This implies the alternative (running the pipeline) and the context (auditing to verify data reduction behavior) clearly.

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