chronicapulse

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

No annotations are provided, so the description must carry full behavioral disclosure. It does reveal coverage sources and pricing per endpoint, which is useful, but it omits critical behaviors like authentication requirements, rate limits, response formats, pagination, or what kind of data is returned (citations vs. summaries). The description is truncated mid-sentence ('Euro...'), further reducing transparency.

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 organized with a clear overview, coverage line, and bulleted endpoints with pricing, which helps navigation. However, it includes a truncated phrase and mixes pricing details with functional descriptions, making it longer than necessary. The front-loaded purpose is good, but the incomplete sentence and redundancy reduce structural quality.

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 18 parameters, 9 endpoints, and no output schema, the description is insufficient for an agent to correctly invoke the tool. It fails to explain endpoint-specific parameters, expected outputs, or examples, and does not clarify how the endpoints relate to the overall search capability. The one-line endpoint descriptions are too brief to guide effective use.

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 schema has 18 parameters with descriptions, so coverage is 100%, but these descriptions are mostly tautological ('era'->'era', 'lang'->'lang'). The tool description lists endpoints but does not map parameters to specific actions or explain which fields are required for each endpoint, leaving the agent without guidance on how to construct queries for person, immigration, or timeline research.

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 clearly defines the tool as a 'Global genealogy and historical archive intelligence API' and specifies full-text search across known sources (Chronicling America, Library of Congress, Trove, British Newspaper Archive). It lists distinct endpoints (search, person, obituary, event, place, immigration, military, business, timeline) which distinguishes it from sibling *pulse tools by its historical/genealogical domain.

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 genealogy and historical research by naming the sources and endpoint types, but it does not explicitly state when to use this tool over the many sibling pulse tools or when not to use it. There are no alternatives mentioned or exclusion criteria, leaving the agent to infer applicability from the domain context.

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