update_employee

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

With no annotations, the description carries full burden for behavioral disclosure. It fails to mention whether the update is partial or full, required permissions, destructiveness, or return behavior. Purely stating 'Update' is insufficient for a mutation tool.

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 sentence, which is concise but overly terse. Given the complexity of the tool (nested employee object, many sibling tools), it sacrifices necessary detail for brevity. It is under-specified rather than efficiently concise.

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 tool has a nested parameter, no output schema, no annotations, and a large set of sibling tools. The description fails to explain how to structure the employee update, what the response looks like, or any constraints. It is severely incomplete for effective 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 50% (only 'company' parameter is documented). The description adds no parameter meanings beyond the schema. The nested 'employee' object lacks any property descriptions, and the description does not clarify what fields can be updated.

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 states the action ('Update') and resource ('an employee in QuickBooks Online'). However, it does not distinguish this tool from other update tools (e.g., update_account, update_customer) beyond the resource name. While the purpose is clear, it lacks specificity about scope or unique aspects.

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?

No guidance is provided on when to use this tool versus alternatives like create_employee or delete_employee. There are no prerequisites, conditions, or examples for invoking this tool. The description offers no usage context.

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