Contacts List Contacts

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 no behavioral context beyond calling the tool 'Delegated Apple domain tool', which is boilerplate and does not disclose what happens on invocation.

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 short, but it is under-specified rather than concise. Its single sentence contains no useful content and does not earn its place relative to the information already available in the tool name and annotations.

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?

Although the tool is simple, has annotations, and has an output schema, the description is still missing the core semantic statement of what the tool does. A minimal 'Lists contacts with pagination' would be needed for the definition to be complete for agent selection and invocation.

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%, and the description adds nothing about limit or offset. It does not mention pagination, defaults, or how the parameters affect results, so the agent receives no semantic help beyond the bare parameter names.

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 merely restates the tool name ('contacts_list_contacts') and says it is 'exposed through Apple-Tools-MCP'; it does not state what the tool does in functional terms. This is essentially a tautology with no verb/resource semantics beyond what the name implies.

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?

There is no guidance on when to use this tool versus siblings like contacts_search_contacts or contacts_get_contact. The description provides no context for listing contacts, no mention of pagination behavior, and no exclusions or alternatives.

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