Compare Periods

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

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure, but it only restates the tool's purpose. It does not mention read-only behavior, output format, date-range constraints, timezone handling, or any aggregation logic.

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 a single concise sentence with no filler and is easy to parse. It is brief to the point of under-specification, but as written, every word contributes to the high-level purpose.

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?

For a six-parameter tool with five required fields and no annotations, this description is not complete enough. It omits parameter semantics, date-range relationships, and behavioral context, leaving an agent with substantial gaps despite the output schema.

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 description coverage is only 33%, and the description adds no real parameter meaning. It does not explain how current_* and previous_* fields relate, what date format is expected, or how site_url and search_type factor into the comparison.

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 identifies the action (compare) and resource (search performance) over two date periods, which separates it from single-period analytics tools. However, it does not explicitly distinguish compare_periods from siblings like get_search_analytics or batch_search_analytics beyond the period-comparison hint.

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 phrase 'between two date periods' implies when the tool should be used, but the description provides no explicit conditions, exclusions, or alternatives. An agent is left to infer when compare_periods is preferable to the other analytics-related sibling tools.

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