Remove an item

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

Annotations already declare destructiveHint=true, but the description adds the details that actually matter: it is a soft delete held in Recently deleted for 30 days, then becomes permanent along with photos and documents. It also adds an operational precondition ("Confirm with the person first") that no annotation conveys.

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 action, then the exclusion rule, then the retention/permanence consequence, then the confirmation. Four sentences, each carrying distinct decision-relevant information with no restatement of the title or annotations.

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 one-parameter destructive tool with no output schema, the description covers everything an agent needs: irreversibility timeline, what data is destroyed, the undo tool, the safer alternative, and the human-confirmation requirement. Nothing material is missing.

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?

With one parameter at 100% schema coverage, the schema already documents the id field and even its provenance ("from search_inventory"). The description never mentions the id or any format expectation, so it adds nothing beyond the schema — baseline 3.

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?

Names a specific verb and resource ("Removes an item from the inventory") and immediately scopes it against siblings by naming update_item with disposition and restore_item. An agent can distinguish this from delete_maintenance, restore_item, and recently_deleted without opening any schema.

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?

Gives explicit when-to-use ("added by mistake or the person wants it gone from the records") and an explicit when-not with the correct alternative ("For something sold, given away, thrown out, lost or stolen, prefer update_item with disposition"). It also names restore_item as the recovery path, so the agent has both a routing rule and a fallback.

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