pause

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

With no annotations, the description carries full burden for behavioral disclosure. 'Pause program execution' only hints at halting execution, but does not explain effects on threads, whether it requires a running session, or how to resume. This is insufficient for an agent to understand 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?

At three words, the description is too brief and omits essential context such as scope and effect, trading conciseness for adequacy. It does not earn its place due to lack of informative content.

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 the tool's simplicity and presence of sibling debug tools, the description should mention that it is part of a debugging session, that sessionId must be valid, and what state the program enters after pausing. No output schema exists, so return behavior should be clarified. The description is incomplete.

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 parameters are documented there. The description adds no extra meaning beyond what the input schema already provides (e.g., that sessionId is required and threadId is optional). Thus 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?

The description 'Pause program execution' clearly states the action and resource, distinguishing it from siblings like 'continue' or 'step_over' that have different actions. However, it does not specify whether it pauses all threads or a specific one, which is relevant given the optional threadId parameter.

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?

No guidance is provided on when to use this tool versus alternatives. Siblings like 'step_in', 'step_over', and 'continue' serve related but distinct purposes, and without usage context, the agent cannot determine the appropriate scenario for 'pause'.

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