Read a OneNote page

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint and openWorldHint, and the description adds real behavior: images come back as viewable images with [Image N] placeholders, large screenshots are downscaled, and format changes the structural output. It stops short of describing truncation/pagination behavior when max_chars is exceeded, which matters for long pages.

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 what you get, followed by image handling and then format choice. Every sentence carries distinct information and none restates the title.

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?

With seven parameters and no output schema, the description does the important work of describing the return shape (markdown plus inline images and placeholders). The remaining gap is paging: it never says what happens when a page exceeds max_chars or how char_offset should be used to continue reading.

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 71%, and the description adds the one thing the schema can't: the intent behind format=html_with_ids (element IDs for edits). It also explains the image-placeholder contract that no parameter documents. The numeric paging/resizing parameters are left entirely to their schema descriptions.

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 ('Reads a page as markdown') and immediately characterizes the output format, which cleanly separates it from onenote_list_pages, onenote_search_pages, and onenote_get_page_image. An agent can pick it without opening the 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?

Explicitly routes two alternatives: onenote_get_page_image with a region for zooming into small text, and format=html_with_ids when the goal is subsequent targeted edits via onenote_update_page. Both the condition and the named sibling are given, leaving nothing to inference.

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