search_web

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

With no annotations provided, the description carries full burden for behavioral disclosure. It mentions the search engine (DuckDuckGo) and output format, but lacks critical behavioral details: whether this requires authentication, rate limits, network dependencies, error handling, or pagination behavior. The description doesn't contradict annotations (none exist), but provides minimal behavioral context for a tool that performs external web searches.

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 appropriately concise with two sentences that convey the core functionality and implementation detail. It's front-loaded with the main purpose. The second sentence about DuckDuckGo adds useful context without being verbose. No wasted words, though it could be slightly more structured with explicit parameter mentions.

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 web search tool with 2 parameters, no annotations, and no output schema, the description is incomplete. It doesn't explain the search scope, result format details beyond 'URLs and titles', error conditions, or performance characteristics. The mention of DuckDuckGo provides some context, but critical information about how results are returned, sorted, or filtered 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?

The description adds no parameter-specific information beyond what the schema provides. With 0% schema description coverage, both parameters (query and limit) are undocumented in both schema and description. However, the description implies the 'query' parameter through 'Search the web' and 'limit' through 'return a list', but doesn't explain their semantics, formats, or constraints. This meets the baseline 3 since the schema covers parameter structure, though the description doesn't compensate for the coverage gap.

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 tool's purpose: 'Search the web and return a list of result URLs and titles.' It specifies the verb (search), resource (web), and output format (URLs and titles). However, it doesn't explicitly differentiate from its sibling 'fetch_page', which likely retrieves a specific page rather than performing a search.

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 provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives. It mentions 'Uses DuckDuckGo HTML' which hints at the search engine used, but doesn't explain when to choose this over 'fetch_page' or other search methods. No explicit when/when-not instructions or alternative tool references are provided.

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