Read a transcript

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

Beyond the readOnlyHint/openWorldHint annotations, it discloses three non-obvious traits: the call is free, an in-flight job yields progress rather than content, and the return is a budgeted excerpt that self-reports when it truncates. The truncation and cost disclosures materially change how an agent should interpret the response.

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?

Two dense, front-loaded sentences that lead with purpose, then budget/cost behavior, then disambiguation. Slightly marred by the redundant 'Free, and does not charge anything', which says the same thing twice.

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?

Covers the essential unknowns for a read-only fetch tool with no output schema: cost, async progress, and truncation. It omits edge behavior such as what is returned for an invalid, failed or expired job id, which is the remaining gap for an agent operating on a job-id-keyed resource.

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%, so verbatim, max_chars and timestamps are already fully documented in the schema. The description alludes to the text budget via 'budgeted excerpt' but adds no syntax, units or defaults beyond what the schema states, 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?

States a specific verb and resource ('fetches a transcript by job id') and adds the dual-mode behavior of reporting progress when the job is still running. It names the sibling tools it is not (search_transcript, get_summary), so the agent can place it immediately.

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?

Provides explicit routing rules: use this for the full transcript, `search_transcript` for a question about a specific moment, and `get_summary` for the gist. Both alternative tools and the conditions that select them are spelled out rather than implied.

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