Overview of a city’s events across a month

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, openWorldHint, and idempotentHint. The description adds valuable behavioral context: 'The calendar shows at most four listings per day, so events is a preview while total is the real count', and mentions that the national hub has no local calendar. No contradictions with annotations.

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 concise at 4 sentences, front-loaded with the main purpose, and every sentence adds unique value without repetition or fluff.

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 rich annotations, the description fully covers the tool's behavior, output explanation (preview vs total), and relationships to other tools. No gaps are apparent for a read-only overview 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 coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3. The description adds extra context by explaining that 'month' defaults to the current month and that 'site' must be passed, referencing otc_list_sites for available cities. This goes slightly beyond the schema descriptions.

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 clearly states it provides a day-by-day overview of a month from an 'on the Cheap' city's events calendar, specifying the verb 'overview' and resource 'events calendar'. It distinguishes from sibling tool otc_list_events by noting that this shows a preview and that for a full schedule, use the other tool.

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?

The description explicitly says when to use this tool ('find the busiest days or scan a month at a glance') and when not to ('call otc_list_events for a specific date to get that day's complete schedule'). It also notes that the national hub is not a valid site, and that site must be obtained from otc_list_sites.

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