get_recent_messages

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

With no annotations at all, the description carries the full behavioral burden and largely fails: it doesn't state that this is a read-only operation, whether authentication or channel membership is required, rate limits, or how the time filters interact. Only the implicit 'get' wording hints at a safe read.

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 with no filler or redundancy. It is appropriately sized, though it is arguably too thin for a five-parameter tool.

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 five-parameter tool with no annotations and no output schema, the description omits the return shape (message fields, ordering, pagination) and the interplay of sinceDate/sinceHours/sinceMinutes, leaving real gaps an agent needs to call it correctly.

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%, so every parameter (limit, channel, sinceDate, sinceHours, sinceMinutes) is already documented in the schema. The description adds no extra meaning such as how the overlapping time filters combine, which is the baseline-3 expectation when 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?

States a concrete verb (get) and resource (recent messages) plus the scope (Telegram channel, group, or private chat). It is clearly a read of recent messages, but it never names how it differs from siblings like search_messages or get_private_messages.

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 when-to-use guidance, no exclusions, and no mention of the alternatives (search_messages for filtered lookup, get_private_messages for DMs). The agent must infer the intended use entirely from the word 'recent'.

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