Get Home Assistant setup-wizard state

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint and openWorldHint, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds genuinely useful context beyond that: the auth requirement (VOMEHOME_TOKEN) and the behavioral explanation that a newly provisioned home shows the wizard instead of a dashboard until location, analytics and integration steps are chosen. It does not describe the returned shape, but the schema/output situation makes that minor.

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 sentences, front-loaded with the core purpose, then the behavioral rationale, then the auth requirement. The middle sentence is longer than strictly necessary but it earns its place by explaining the wizard-vs-dashboard behavior an agent may need to interpret.

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 read-only, single-parameter query with no output schema, the description conveys what is being reported (outstanding wizard steps), the auth prerequisite, and the situational meaning of the result. Missing only an explicit pointer to the sibling tool that consumes this state (vomehome_complete_onboarding).

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?

There is a single parameter (instance_id) with 100% schema description coverage, so the schema already documents it fully. The description adds no syntax, format, or lookup guidance for instance_id, which matches the baseline 3 for a fully documented single-param schema.

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 states a specific resource (Home Assistant setup-wizard steps on a VomeHome instance) and its scope (which steps are 'still outstanding'), which implicitly contrasts with the sibling vomehome_complete_onboarding. It is phrased as a question rather than an explicit verb like 'list' or 'get', and it never names the sibling it complements, so it falls just short of a 5.

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 only implied: the description explains what the wizard state means and why a home shows a wizard instead of a dashboard, which hints this is a pre-check tool. It never states when to call it (e.g. before vomehome_complete_onboarding) or any exclusions, so an agent must infer the workflow position.

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