blackboard_list_calendars

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

Annotations already cover the safety profile (readOnly, idempotent, openWorld, non-destructive), so the description's burden is lower. It adds the account-scoping and the 'not the complete academic schedule' caveat, but says nothing about return shape or how many calendars to expect.

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 short sentences, both earning their place: the first states what it returns, the second routes to the alternative and sets expectations. Front-loaded and free of padding.

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-parameter, read-only listing tool with no output schema, the description supplies enough to call it correctly and to know it is not a substitute for the academic schedule. Only the return-value shape is unaddressed, which is minor here.

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?

This tool takes zero input parameters, so there is no parameter semantics to document; the baseline for a parameterless tool is 4.

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: it lists the calendars visible to the current account. It also distinguishes itself from the sibling blackboard_list_calendar by clarifying that this tool returns calendars, not events. Lacks an explicit account/course scope beyond 'current account'.

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 routes the agent to list_calendar for event retrieval and warns that this is not the full academic schedule, so when-to-use and when-not-to-expect are both implied. No step-by-step prerequisites, but the alternative tool is named clearly.

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