get_stock_price

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 discloses the returned fields and that output defaults to text unless format=json is set, but says nothing about data freshness (realtime vs delayed), auth requirements, or behavior for unknown symbols.

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 short, front-loaded sentences with the return payload first and routing second; no filler. The final sentence largely duplicates what the schema enum already declares, costing it a point.

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?

With no output schema, the description correctly compensates by naming the four returned values, and it covers the format choice and the sibling alternative. It stops short of mentioning data latency or failure modes, which would be the remaining gap for a market-data tool.

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 description coverage is 100%, so both parameters are already documented (including 'default: text' on the format enum and the space-separated symbol syntax). The description's 'Text default; set format=json' restates the schema rather than adding new semantics, so 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 and resource ('Returns current price, change, market cap, and volume') and enumerates the exact data fields returned, so the agent knows the payload shape without a schema. It also explicitly distinguishes itself from get_stock_summary, a sibling it could easily be confused with.

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?

'Use for quick price checks; use get_stock_summary for valuation metrics' gives an explicit when-to-use and a named alternative with the condition that selects it. Only one of the many siblings (profile, history, key stats, etc.) is routed, so the guidance is clear but not exhaustive.

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