get_annotations

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It communicates a read operation but does not clarify how 'current document' works when nodeId is required, what happens when there are no annotations, whether permissions are needed, or what the response shape looks like.

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 concise sentence with no filler or redundant phrasing. It loses a point because 'current document or specific node' is compact but ambiguous, especially in light of the required nodeId parameter.

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 tool with no output schema and no annotations, the description is not complete enough for confident invocation. The unresolved 'current document' mode versus the required nodeId is a significant gap, and the description does not state the return behavior or any special values needed for document-level retrieval.

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 the schema already documents nodeId and includeCategories. The description adds only the high-level notion of 'current document or specific node' and does not explain behave includeCategories affects the result beyond the schema's own wording.

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 uses a specific verb ('Get') and names the resource ('annotations'), with a clear read-vs-write contrast against siblings like set_annotation and set_multiple_annotations. However, the phrase 'current document or specific node' is ambiguous because nodeId is required in the schema, making the document-level mode unclear.

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 tool's read-only name and by the presence of set_annotation/set_multiple_annotations as siblings, so an agent can infer it is for reading annotations. But there is no explicit when-to-use guidance, no exclusions, and no mention of when to choose this over get_node_info or get_selection.

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