Placid MCP Server

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. It mentions optional filtering and the data included in each template, but fails to describe critical behaviors such as pagination, rate limits, authentication needs, error handling, or whether the list is exhaustive. This leaves significant gaps for a tool that likely interacts with an external API.

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, well-structured sentence that efficiently conveys the tool's purpose, optional features, and output details without any wasted words. It is appropriately sized and front-loaded with the core action.

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?

Given the lack of annotations and output schema, the description is incomplete. It does not cover behavioral aspects like response format, pagination, or error cases, nor does it provide enough context for an agent to fully understand how to use this tool effectively in a real-world scenario, especially as a read operation with potential API constraints.

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 100%, so the schema already documents all three optional parameters (collection_id, custom_data, tags) with their purposes. The description adds no additional parameter semantics beyond what the schema provides, such as format examples or interaction effects, meeting the baseline for high schema coverage.

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 verb ('Get a list') and resource ('available Placid templates'), specifying what data is included (title, ID, preview image URL, layers, tags). It distinguishes from sibling tools by focusing on listing templates rather than generating images/videos, though it doesn't explicitly contrast with them.

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 description implies usage for retrieving templates with optional filtering, but provides no explicit guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives (like placid_generate_image/video) or any prerequisites. The context is clear but lacks comparative or exclusionary guidance.

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