bacdive_search_culture_medium

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

With no annotations, the description carries the full behavioral burden. It usefully describes what is returned (composition, growth conditions, citation), which is more than the schema offers, but says nothing about pagination behavior, result caps, matching semantics (partial vs exact), or any auth constraints.

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 tight sentences, front-loaded with the action and the search key. Slight redundancy in repeating 'culture media' across sentences, but no filler worth cutting.

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 simple read-only search with two fully documented parameters and no output schema, the description covers purpose, return content, and intended use. Only pagination/matching behavior is unaddressed, which is a minor gap.

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 coverage is 100%: both parameters are documented with examples ('Nutrient', 'LB', 'Trypticase Soy') and a pagination default. The description only echoes 'by medium name', adding no syntax or matching detail beyond the schema, 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+resource (search culture media) and the BacDive database, plus the search key (medium name). It implicitly contrasts with bacdive_get_culture_medium_by_id (lookup by ID), but never names that sibling, so differentiation is left to inference.

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?

"Useful when you need to find how to cultivate specific microorganisms" gives a use context, but there is no explicit when-to-use-vs-alternative guidance and no mention of when to prefer get_culture_medium_by_id. Usage is implied rather than stated.

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