list_agents

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

Annotations already cover the safety profile (readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive), and the description adds genuinely new behavioral context: token cost of each mode, that full mode is heavy, and that compact silently defaults limit=25 when omitted. That default-on-omission detail is exactly the kind of silent behavior an agent needs.

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?

Three tight sentences, front-loaded with the core action, then mode behavior, then sibling routing and the default-limit caveat. No wasted prose.

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?

No output schema exists, but the description compensates by enumerating the compact return fields and warning about full-mode payload size. Nothing an agent needs to call this correctly is missing.

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%, so baseline is 3; the description earns extra credit by listing the exact compact fields (id, title, description, theme, flags, timestamps) and restating the limit=25 default. It mostly reinforces the schema rather than adding new mechanics, so not a 5.

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 verb and resource ("List accessible agents") and immediately enumerates the two modes and what each returns. It explicitly names siblings (get_agent, search_agents) and the conditions that select them, so an agent can distinguish this from related tools without opening any schema.

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?

Gives explicit routing: use compact "to find recent agents," prefer get_agent for a single agent, and search_agents for filtered lookup. Both when-to-use and when-not-to-use are stated with named alternatives.

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