get-policies

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

There are no annotations, so the description carries the full burden. It only states 'List all policies,' which does not reveal whether the operation is safe/read-only, whether it requires special permissions, whether results are paginated, or what fields are returned. This lack of behavioral disclosure is significant for a tool with no annotation support.

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 extremely brief—a single sentence—but this is not effective conciseness; it is under-specification. It fails to include essential context such as response format or behavioral notes, making the description unhelpful despite being short.

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 tool has no required parameters, no output schema, and numerous related siblings, the description is insufficient. It does not mention potential pagination, sorting, or the structure of 'all policies,' leaving the agent without enough information for reliable invocation and result handling.

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 schema documents the sole parameter 'fields' as 'Comma-separated fields to return,' providing 100% schema coverage. The description adds no extra meaning about parameters, but since schema coverage is complete, the baseline of 3 is appropriate.

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 'List all policies.' clearly identifies the verb (List) and resource (policies), and the word 'all' suggests a collection operation. It distinguishes from the sibling 'get-policy' by implying a plural retrieval, though it doesn't explicitly contrast 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?

No guidance is provided on when to use this tool versus alternatives like 'get-policy' or 'create-policy'. The description gives no context about use cases, prerequisites, or exclusions, leaving the agent to infer when a bulk listing is appropriate.

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