Delete a Home Assistant user

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

Annotations already declare destructiveHint=true and readOnlyHint=false, but the description adds the details that matter: deletion is permanent, it cascades to attached login credentials, it is gated on the ha:config permission, and it will refuse specific protected accounts. This is behavioral context beyond what the structured fields provide.

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?

Three short sentences, front-loaded with the destructive action, then constraints, then the permission requirement. No filler and nothing an agent needs is buried.

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 destructive, annotated, no-output-schema mutation tool, the description covers permanence, cascade effects, permission gate, and refusal cases. Return values need not be described since no output schema exists, and safety is already carried by annotations.

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% and both parameters (user_id, instance_id) are fully documented in the schema itself, including the cross-tool reference to ha_list_users. The description adds no parameter-level meaning, so the baseline 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 ('Permanently delete a user') plus the cascade scope ('any login credentials attached to it'), which cleanly separates it from siblings like ha_remove_user_credentials (credentials only) and ha_update_user (mutation without deletion). An agent can select it without opening any schema.

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?

Gives explicit when-not conditions (cannot delete the currently in-use owner account or a system-generated user) and the prerequisite 'Requires ha:config'. It stops short of naming the closest alternative (ha_remove_user_credentials) for the case where only credentials should be removed, so it is strong but not fully routing.

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