plants_needing_water

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

With no annotations, the description must carry the burden of behavioral disclosure. It mentions the sort order (overdue amount) and that it returns only needing-water plants, but does not state its read-only nature explicitly or any other side effects. Some behavioral context is provided, but more could be said about the time aspect (as_of).

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?

The description is two concise sentences, front-loaded with the main action ('returns only plants needing water') and then provides additional details (sorting and usage example). No wasted words.

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?

Given there is an output schema and the tool is a simple query, the description covers the core behavior. However, the unexplained 'as_of' parameter leaves the input semantics incomplete. It could also mention that it is read-only, but overall it's mostly adequate.

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 schema has one optional parameter 'as_of' with zero coverage (no description). The tool description does not explain what 'as_of' does or how it affects the results, providing no added meaning beyond the type. This is a significant gap.

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?

Description clearly states the tool returns only plants needing water, sorted by overdue degree. This distinguishes it from siblings like list_plants (which would list all plants), and the example query clarifies its purpose.

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?

Explicit use case is given: 'Use for questions like Who's thirsty today?' This tells the agent when to invoke this tool. However, it does not explicitly mention when not to use it or contrast with list_plants, so it misses a bit of exclusion guidance.

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