list_courses

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

Annotations already establish readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=true, so safety is covered. The description adds a genuinely useful behavioral fact beyond the schema: results are silently filtered to current courses unless include_past is set, which an agent could not infer from default=false alone. Return format and volume/pagination are still unaddressed.

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 sentence, front-loaded with the core action and followed by the output shape and the sole caveat. Nothing is wasted and nothing essential is deferred.

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, annotation-covered read tool with one parameter and no output schema, the description supplies purpose, returned fields, and the default filtering behavior. It stops just short of describing ordering, pagination, or what happens with zero enrollments.

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 0% for the single parameter, so the description carries the burden, and it does: it explains that include_past controls whether historical enrollments appear. That is the full semantic of the only parameter, though no format or edge-case detail is given.

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 the courses the user is enrolled in') and even names the returned fields (id, code, name). It is clearly distinct from siblings like get_announcements or get_deadlines, though it never explicitly contrasts with the closest sibling get_course_outline.

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?

Usage is implied by the name and the enrollment framing, and the note about past courses being hidden gives one behavioral condition. However, there is no explicit 'use this when' guidance and no mention of alternatives such as get_course_outline for a deeper view of a single course.

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