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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, openWorldHint, and destructiveHint=false, so the safety profile is covered elsewhere. The description nonetheless adds genuinely new behavioral context: the call is cheap and explicitly does not touch backends, which matters for an agent deciding whether a liveness probe can have side effects.

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?

A single clause-pair sentence with zero waste, front-loading the core purpose and appending the one useful limitation. Nothing could be cut without losing 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-parameter, no-output-schema health probe, the description covers what the tool is and how far its assurance extends. The only mild gap is that the success/failure signal shape is left implicit, which matters slightly given there is no output schema.

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, which is the baseline-4 case; the schema description coverage is 100% and there is nothing for the description to disambiguate.

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: an MCP liveness check, and adds a precise boundary ('does not probe backends') so the agent knows this is a shallow health probe, not a backend diagnostic. It does not name siblings, but the sibling set (media/service tools) is functionally unrelated, so differentiation is less critical.

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?

'Cheap ... liveness check' implies the context: use it as a lightweight preflight rather than a real request. The 'does not probe backends' clause implicitly tells the agent not to rely on it for backend reachability, but no explicit when-not or alternative tool is named.

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