ebay_translate

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 only states 'Translate listing text' with no information about side effects, authentication requirements, rate limits, or whether the operation is read-only or mutating. This is a significant gap.

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 extremely short (3 words), but this is not conciseness—it is under-specification. It fails to provide essential information that would fit in a few more sentences, making it insufficiently informative.

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?

Given the complexity of the tool (4 parameters, no output schema, no annotations), the description is completely inadequate. It does not explain what the text is translated to/from, the expected format of input text, or what the output looks like. An agent would be unable to use this tool correctly based on the description alone.

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?

The input schema has 4 parameters with 0% description coverage in the schema itself. The description does not explain any of the parameters (to, from, text, translationContext), leaving their purpose and format entirely unclear.

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 'Translate listing text' uses a specific verb and resource, clearly indicating the tool's function. Among the many sibling tools (e.g., ebay_create_report_task, ebay_update_offer), this tool uniquely focuses on translation, so it is well-distinguished.

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 description gives no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives, nor any exclusions or prerequisites. While no sibling tools directly overlap in function, the description does not provide any context for appropriate usage scenarios.

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