Schemas List Schemas

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

The annotations already establish that this is a safe, read-only, idempotent, open-world listing operation. The description adds the scope behavior and some return-field details, but it does not describe pagination, permissions, limits, or other operational behavior beyond what annotations provide.

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 short sentences and front-loads the main purpose. The second sentence about quoted_name and quoted_qualified_name is useful but somewhat redundant given the output schema, so it is not perfectly economical.

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?

With annotations and an output schema present, much of the behavioral and return-value detail is already structured elsewhere. The main remaining gap is that 'pattern' is entirely unexplained in both schema and description, which is a meaningful omission for a two-parameter listing 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 only 50%, and the description does not explain the 'pattern' parameter at all. It does add meaning for 'database' by saying it can be omitted to use the current active database, but this does not fully compensate for the undocumented pattern filter.

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 gives a clear verb and resource: listing schemas, scoped to a database or the current active database. It does not explicitly distinguish itself from nearby siblings such as databases_list_databases or schemas_describe_schema, but the operation is otherwise unambiguous.

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?

It clarifies that the database argument is optional and defaults to the current active database, which is useful usage context. However, it does not say when to use this versus schemas_describe_schema or databases_list_databases, and it gives no exclusions.

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