get_database_stats

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full behavioral burden, yet it says nothing about read-only/side-effect status, authentication, rate limits, or caching. The only behavioral hint is that figures reflect the 'current eggNOG release', which is thin for a tool with zero annotation coverage.

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-loaded with the core purpose and reasonably short, but the word 'Returns' is used three times across a prose sentence, an enumerated list, and a NumPy-style Returns block, creating redundant restatement of the same return information.

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 zero-argument, read-only statistics tool with an output schema present, the description covers what the tool does and what the payload contains. Given the output schema exists, the explicit Returns block is not strictly needed, and the absence of behavioral/annotation context is the only notable 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?

The tool takes zero parameters, so the baseline of 4 applies; there is no parameter semantics to document or omit.

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 (retrieve summary statistics of the eggNOG 7 database) and enumerates the exact contents of those statistics (species, sequences, trees, orthologous groups). No sibling tool (get_protein, get_orthologous_group, search_eggnog, etc.) does this, so the tool is unambiguously distinguishable.

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?

There is no when-to-use guidance, no prerequisites, and no mention of alternatives or fallbacks. The only usage signal is implied by the verb 'Retrieve', leaving the agent to guess the context in which database-level statistics are wanted.

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