announcements

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

No annotations are present, so the description must carry the behavioral burden. It discloses scope and sort order, and 'Recent announcements...' plausibly implies a read operation, but it does not explicitly state side-effect safety, failure behavior, or auth requirements. For a simple list tool, the ordering disclosure is the main added value, but the absence of annotations limits confidence.

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?

One compact sentence front-loads the core resource and order and contains no filler. It is appropriately sized for a tool with two parameters.

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 read-list tool, scope and order are conveyed, and the schema documents parameters. However, with no annotations and no output schema, the description leaves return-item shape and failure/edge-case behavior implicit, so completeness is adequate but not strong.

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%; courseid is documented as 'Course id from my_courses' and limit as 'How many to return.' The description adds no parameter-specific meaning beyond the schema, so the baseline of 3 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 states the resource ('announcements in the course's news forum') and the ordering ('newest first'), clearly signaling a list/read operation. It is not a tautology and is distinguishable from the sibling announce, though it lacks an explicit verb like 'list' and does not name the sibling alternative.

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?

No guidance is provided about when to choose this over siblings such as announce or course_contents. The 'newest first' phrasing implies a read-only listing, but there are no explicit conditions, prerequisites, or exclusions.

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