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delimit_gov_health

Check governance engine availability by confirming kernel boot status and policy load; ensures downstream gates fail-closed instead of silent no-ops.

Instructions

Report whether the governance kernel and policy are reachable.

When to use: at session start as part of the standard orchestrator ritual (delimit_revive + delimit_ledger_context + this + inbox daemon), or as a CI smoke check before a gated deploy. Confirms the governance backend is reachable and the policy kernel is loaded so downstream gates will fail-closed correctly rather than silently no-op. When NOT to use: to evaluate whether a specific candidate action requires gating (use delimit_gov_evaluate), to read the rules themselves (delimit_gov_policy), or to check per-repo task state (delimit_gov_status).

Sibling contrast: delimit_gov_status reports per-repo workload (open tasks, recent decisions); this reports the engine layer itself (kernel boot status, policy load, backend integration). If a deploy gate is failing, run this first to rule out "engine down" before debugging policy logic.

Side effects: read-only and not license-gated. Invokes backends.governance_bridge.health and wraps the response through _with_next_steps. No ledger write, no notification, no evidence file. Safe to call on every session start without rate concern.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
repoNoFilesystem path to the repository. Default "." (cwd)..

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault

No arguments

Behavior5/5

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

With no annotations, the description fully discloses behavioral traits: read-only, no side effects, safe to call frequently, invokes internal health check, no ledger write or notifications. This compensates for missing annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is well-structured with clear sections (purpose, when to use, when not, sibling contrast, side effects). Every sentence is informative without redundancy, achieving conciseness without sacrificing completeness.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the tool's simplicity (one parameter, output schema exists), the description covers all needed aspects: purpose, usage context, behaviors, and constraints. No gaps remain for effective agent invocation.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100% for the single optional parameter (repo). The description does not add additional semantics beyond the schema, which is acceptable but not value-added. Baseline of 3 is appropriate.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool reports whether governance kernel and policy are reachable, with specific verb and resource. It distinguishes from siblings by contrasting with delimit_gov_evaluate, delimit_gov_policy, and delimit_gov_status, making the purpose unambiguous.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly provides when to use (session start ritual, CI smoke check) and when NOT to use (for specific gating, reading rules, per-repo task state), including alternative tools. This guides the agent effectively.

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

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