Get shipping options

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

Adds real value beyond the annotations: results are cart-scoped, prices are USD for the cart as-is, the final destination-currency amount lives in get_order_preview, and the call is safe on an empty cart. It stops short of clarifying whether results shift after set_shipping_address, despite set_shipping_address and set_shipping_method being siblings — a meaningful gap for a shipping-quote tool.

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 purpose, then usage conditions, then the sibling hand-off — good ordering with no filler. The embedded snapshot of the single current method ("worldwide tracked shipping, 7–14 business days") is illustrative but will go stale and is the one sentence that does not earn unconditional space.

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?

An output schema exists, so return-shape explanation is unnecessary and the description rightly focuses on semantics instead: currency, cart scope, empty-cart behavior, and where the billed amount appears. Only the address-dependency question is left unaddressed for a tool sitting next to set_shipping_address.

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 no parameters, so the baseline is 4. The description correctly implies the cart context is implicit rather than passed in.

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 ("List the shipping methods for the current cart") along with the exact data returned: price, ETA, free-shipping threshold. It is clearly distinguished from get_order_preview, which the description names as the source of the authoritative converted amount.

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?

Explicitly names the user questions this answers ("how much / how long is shipping", "how much more gets free shipping") and routes the agent elsewhere for the final charged amount (get_order_preview). It also states a boundary condition — works on an empty cart — that would otherwise cause an agent to skip the call.

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