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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and destructiveHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds genuinely new operational context — that no permissions are required, meaning an agent can call it without an auth check — which is value beyond the structured fields. It does not add latency/cost notes, but the output schema covers the return value.

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 short clauses, front-loaded with the purpose, with the auth reassurance trailing. Every word earns its place and there is no redundancy against the schema or title.

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 trivial liveness probe, annotations plus an output schema mean the description only needs to state purpose and auth requirements, which it does. The one omission is a hint about what a healthy vs unhealthy result looks like, which would help an agent interpret the call — though the output schema largely covers that.

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, so the schema carries no semantics to compensate for. Baseline for a parameterless tool is 4, and the description correctly adds nothing that would confuse the empty input shape.

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 — a health check that confirms the macos-apps-mcp server is alive — which is unambiguous in isolation. It does not distinguish itself from the potentially overlapping diagnostics siblings such as 'doctor', 'usage', or 'now', so an agent must infer the difference.

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?

'Health check' implies the usage context (verify the server is reachable) and 'no permission needed' signals it is safe to call freely. However, there is no explicit when-to-use guidance nor any pointer to the alternative diagnostic tools like 'doctor' that an agent might otherwise pick.

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