tenki_get_snapshot_retention_settings

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, openWorldHint, idempotentHint, and destructiveHint, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds valuable behavior beyond that: the deprecation status and the critical empty-response semantics ('no retention override, i.e. kept indefinitely'), which affects how an agent interprets results.

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?

Two sentences deliver the purpose, the deprecation warning, and the key empty-response meaning. There is no filler, and the most important behavioral caveat is front-loaded in the second sentence.

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 optional-parameter getter, the description covers purpose, deprecation, and the empty-response case. With no output schema, it could have been slightly more explicit about the shape of a non-empty response, but the retention fields are clearly implied by the tool name and description.

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 coverage is 100%, and the only parameter, workspace_id, is already documented with 'Workspace (defaults to the key's first workspace).' The description adds no further parameter detail, so the baseline score applies.

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 uses a specific verb and resource: 'Get the workspace's pause- and snapshot-retention periods.' It also distinguishes this tool from its sibling, tenki_get_workspace_settings, by explicitly noting the deprecation and the alternative that returns the same fields.

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 clearly identifies when not to use this tool by marking it 'DEPRECATED upstream' and states that tenki_get_workspace_settings 'returns the same retention fields alongside the quotas.' This gives the agent an explicit routing decision between the two tools.

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