Budget List Budget Months

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

Annotations (readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, destructiveHint) provide a safety profile, reducing the need for behavioral details. The description adds nothing beyond these annotations, but also does not contradict them. For a read-only tool, this is minimally adequate.

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?

Extremely concise but at the expense of completeness. Four words do not provide enough context for a tool with 5 parameters. The description is under-specified, not efficiently concise.

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?

The tool has 5 parameters, 2 required, and no output schema. The description does not explain what the return data looks like, how the months are filtered, or any edge cases. An agent would be uncertain about the output format and behavior without additional context.

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 40%, leaving start_month and end_month undocumented. The tool description does not mention parameters or compensate for missing schema descriptions. The agent must infer usage from parameter names alone, which is insufficient for complex date formatting.

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 states the action: 'List budget months.' It is a verb+resource pattern. However, it does not differentiate from sibling list tools or specify what constitutes a 'budget month' (e.g., months with budget data vs all months in a range).

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?

No usage guidelines provided. The description does not indicate when to use this tool vs other budget tools or how to set the date range behavior. The agent receives no contextual cues about prerequisites or alternatives.

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