ebay_cancel_shipment

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

Beyond the destructive/readOnly annotations, the description discloses the refund side effect (totalShippingCost to billing agreement), label deletion, the failure condition once the label is used, the return content, and the special OAuth scope requirement. This is rich behavioral context that an agent cannot infer from structured fields alone.

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?

Front-loads the core action and its effects before the operational/eligibility boilerplate, so the essential meaning lands first. The trailing scope and re-consent details are somewhat verbose but genuinely relevant for a limited-release API.

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 action, side effects, failure condition, return value, and auth/eligibility constraints, which is everything an agent needs for a single-parameter destructive tool with no output schema. Nothing material is left unexplained.

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 sole parameter (shipmentId) is fully documented in the schema. The description adds no further syntax or format detail beyond what the schema already provides, 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 ('Cancel a shipment and delete its shipping label') and names the underlying API operation (Logistics API cancelShipment). The scope is clearly shipment-level, distinguishing it in spirit from package-level siblings like ebay_cancel_package, though it never explicitly contrasts with them.

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 one useful precondition ('Fails once the label has been used') and the eligibility restriction (limited release), which implies when the tool is usable. However, it gives no explicit guidance on when to choose this over alternatives like ebay_cancel_package or ebay_bulk_cancel_packages.

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