List areas

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=true, so the safety profile is covered and the bar is lower. The description adds that results carry ids, names and floor, but says nothing about pagination, scale, or instance-refusal behavior beyond what the schema states.

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 tight sentences, zero waste, with the core purpose front-loaded ahead of the secondary usage hint. Nothing to trim.

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 no output schema, the description does the useful work of naming the returned fields (ids, names, floor) and the filterable keys. Annotations cover the read-only safety profile, so nothing critical is missing, though edge cases like empty results or instance mismatch go unmentioned.

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 the single optional instance_id parameter is fully documented in the schema, so baseline 3 applies. The description adds no meaning about instance_id semantics beyond the schema text.

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?

Specific verb+resource ("List all Home Assistant areas") and it disambiguates the HA-specific term by glossing areas as "rooms/zones" with the returned fields (ids, names, floor). An agent can distinguish this from ha_list_devices or ha_list_entities without opening the 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?

The line "Use the area_id or name to filter other tools" gives downstream context but names no alternative tool and no when/when-not condition (e.g. when to use this vs. ha_list_devices). Usage is implied rather than directed.

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