Refresh Data

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

With no annotations, the description carries the full burden and does disclose the useful behavioral facts: provider-side refresh intervals and a 7-day catchup retention window. It omits cost/latency, whether repeated calls are throttled, and failure behavior — meaningful gaps for a provider-facing network call.

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?

Two sentences, front-loaded with the action, then the supporting cadence and retention context. Every clause adds information an agent would otherwise have to guess.

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?

Output schema exists, so return values need no explanation, and a zero-param tool needs no parameter guidance. The only real omission is what a refresh call costs (duration, throttling) and whether it can fail.

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?

The tool takes zero parameters and the description correctly doesn't invent any. Baseline 4 applies; nothing more is needed here.

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?

States a specific verb (re-fetch) and two named resources (channel list and TV guide) with an explicit timing qualifier ("now"). An agent immediately knows this forces an immediate data refresh, a job no sibling tool performs.

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 auto-refresh cadence (guide every 3h, channels every 6h) implicitly tells the agent when this call is unnecessary, and "now" signals the use case: forcing freshness before it happens automatically. No explicit when-not clause or named alternative, but the same-tool context makes that less critical.

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