get_docker_info

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

No annotations are provided, so the description must carry the behavioral burden, and it does disclose two key traits: the operation is read-only via the Docker API and it fails fatally if the daemon is unreachable. It does not describe return format, but an output schema exists to cover that.

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?

Four short clauses, each earning its place: inventory scope, read-only nature, failure mode, and sibling routing. The primary scope statement is front-loaded before the alternatives.

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 zero-parameter, read-only inventory tool with an output schema, the description covers everything an agent needs: what it returns, its safety profile, its failure behavior, and how it differs from adjacent Docker tools.

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?

The tool takes zero parameters, so per the baseline there is nothing for the description to disambiguate. The description correctly does not invent parameter semantics, and the empty schema plus output schema means no compensating detail is required.

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 (returns Docker containers and images) with an important scope qualifier ('including stopped'). It explicitly names two siblings it is not, so an agent can distinguish it from get_docker_container_details and get_docker_disk_usage 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 an explicit use case ('Docker inventory of containers and images') and routes to the correct alternatives with their conditions: get_docker_container_details for inspecting one container, get_docker_disk_usage for space accounting. Nothing is left to inference.

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