record_revision

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

No annotations are provided, so the description must disclose behavioral traits. It states the action ('record') but does not describe what happens to existing data, whether it modifies prior estimates, requires authentication, or has side effects. There is no mention of reversibility, idempotency, or concurrency, and the output schema is not referenced. For a write operation, this is a significant gap.

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?

The description is a single sentence, which is appropriately concise, but it front-loads purpose without providing necessary context for the tool's parameters or behavior. It earns its place as a purpose statement, but the brevity leaves out critical information, so it is not optimally structured for usability.

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 five required parameters, no annotations, and zero schema descriptions, the tool requires more contextual guidance. The description only covers the general purpose and a typical trigger, omitting parameter semantics, when not to use it, and behavioral expectations. An output schema exists but is not described, so the agent has no idea what the return value will be. This is incomplete for a tool of this complexity.

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%, and the description does not explain any of the five parameters (effort, optimistic, likely, pessimistic, rationale). The parameter names offer some hints, but without semantic context (e.g., units, ranges, relationships), an agent cannot reliably determine values. The description adds no parameter meaning and fails to compensate for the schema gap.

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 clearly states the tool records a revised estimate and gives a typical context ('when a slice is inserted'). This distinguishes it from siblings like 'record_final_plan' or 'repair_interval' at a high level, though it does not name alternatives explicitly. It is not a tautology and conveys the core purpose effectively.

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?

The description provides a typical usage scenario ('when a slice is inserted') but does not explicitly say when to use this tool over alternatives, nor does it mention exclusions or prerequisites. An agent would have to infer that this is for revisions as opposed to initial estimates or final plans, but there is no direct guidance compared to sibling tools like 'record_final_plan'.

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