Search across the site

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

Annotations already carry the safety profile (readOnlyHint=true, destructiveHint=false) with no contradiction. The description adds genuine behavioral value beyond those hints: it reveals the tool uses WordPress's native search index and returns a type tag per hit, which informs the agent about both mechanism and output shape.

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?

Two sentences with zero waste: the first establishes the core purpose and behavioral trait, the second delivers the sibling-routing caveat. Every clause earns its place here.

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 read-only search tool this is complete: all six parameters are fully documented in the schema, annotations cover the safety profile, and the description provides the key output distinction ('what type each hit belongs to'). The lack of an output schema is partially compensated by that return-shape statement, though explicit pagination behavior is left implicit.

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%, so the baseline of 3 applies. The description implicitly differentiates the 'type'/'subtype' enum parameters by framing the tool as cross-type search, but it adds no parameter-level detail beyond what the schema already documents.

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 states a specific verb and resource — 'Search every searchable content type at once using WordPress's own search index' — and distinguishes itself from a sibling: 'Broader than list_content's per-type search.' An agent can tell this tool apart from list_content and the various search_* siblings without opening any schema.

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 names the alternative (list_content) and its differentiator (per-type vs. all-at-once search), giving a clear routing signal. It stops short of an explicit when-not-to-use statement, but the contrast is strong enough that the selection logic is nearly self-evident.

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