Get announcements

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

With no annotations provided, the description carries full behavioral disclosure burden, but it only says 'Get', implying a read-only operation. It does not mention whether only published announcements are returned, ordering, pagination, permission requirements, or the shape of the result, leaving meaningful gaps for the agent.

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 a single compact sentence with no fluff. The phrase 'news/announcements' clarifies synonyms without adding unnecessary length, and the core resource is front-loaded.

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 simple one-parameter read tool, the description is adequate but not complete: it omits what the response contains and whether the tool requires any special context. Given no output schema and no annotations, a bit more detail about returned data would make it fully self-sufficient.

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 100%, and the single courseId param already documents its meaning and source via list_courses. The description adds no parameter-level nuance beyond the schema; baseline 3 is warranted because the schema does the heavy lifting.

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 states a specific verb ('Get') and resource ('news/announcements posted in a course'), which clearly distinguishes it from siblings like get_grades or get_assignments. It also aligns with the tool name and title without being tautological.

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 usage: call this tool when you need course announcements. However, it provides no explicit when-to-use guidance or exclusion versus alternatives such as get_course_content, which could also conceivably surface announcements. The interaction with siblings is left to inference.

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