Find bookable slots

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

Annotations only declare readOnlyHint and openWorldHint; the description adds substantial behavioral context the annotations cannot convey: the 45-day inclusive range cap, the 8-month lookahead limit, and that results account for existing bookings, unavailability, service duration, buffers and rooms, include non-online-bookable services, and ignore the Patient Portal minimum notice.

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?

Front-loaded with the core verb+resource, then the branching behavior, then the result semantics. Dense but nearly every clause carries distinct information; it runs slightly long with a stacked list of result considerations.

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 no output schema, the description does describe what comes back in natural language (every slot in range vs. the next slot), plus the search bounds and defaults. It stops short of describing the slot payload structure, but an agent has enough to invoke and interpret it correctly.

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%, so the description must compensate, and it does: it explains the start_date default (today) for next-slot search, the 45-day inclusive end_date constraint, and the source of service_variant_id. clinician_id semantics remain implied rather than stated.

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+resource ('Times a clinician can be booked for a service variant') and distinguishes the two operating modes by input shape. It also names the sibling that supplies service_variant_id (list_services), so an agent can tell it apart from get_clinician_agenda and get_booking without opening schemas.

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?

Clear conditional usage: with end_date it lists every slot in range, without it returns the next slot on or after start_date (today when omitted). It also tells the agent where to get service_variant_id. It does not explicitly name when to prefer alternatives like get_clinician_agenda, so it stops short of 5.

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