Apple Preview Archive Message

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint and idempotentHint, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds the useful 'preview / before moving' framing but does not disclose additional behavioral details such as account/mailbox resolution or permission requirements.

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?

A single front-loaded sentence communicates the central purpose and timing with no filler. It earns its place and is immediately scannable.

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, annotated preview tool with an output schema, the description is minimally adequate. It lacks explicit parameter semantics and does not point to apple_archive_message as the actual execution counterpart, which an agent would need for a fully informed call sequence.

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 needed to compensate by explaining message_id, archive_account, and archive_mailbox. It does not: the sentence only implies the tool is about archiving, and leaves the meaning of the optional target parameters ambiguous.

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 action (Preview) on a specific resource (archiving a Mail message), and 'before moving it' marks this as the dry-run counterpart to apple_archive_message. The verb and scope make it easy to distinguish from the actual archive and mail_move_message siblings.

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?

'Before moving it' provides a clear temporal context: call this to inspect the archive behavior prior to executing the move. It does not explicitly name apple_archive_message as the follow-up tool or state exclusions, so it stops short of a 5.

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