Resolve a SoundCloud URL

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=true, so safety and external-network behavior are covered. The description adds genuine context beyond that: the accepted hostnames and the fact that resolution returns one of four entity kinds (useful since there is no output schema). It omits what happens on a non-SoundCloud or unresolvable URL, which leaves error behavior opaque.

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?

Two sentences, no filler. Scope and return types come first, with the routing hint to get_station placed last where it is most actionable.

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 simple two-parameter read tool with annotations covering safety and an output schema absent, describing the four possible return entity types largely discharges the return-value burden. The only real gap is failure/invalid-URL behavior, which matters here because it is the entry point for arbitrary pasted links.

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 coverage is 50%: `verbose` is fully documented in the schema, while `url` carries only format=uri. The description partially compensates by constraining `url` to soundcloud.com/on.soundcloud.com links, but adds nothing about `verbose` (compact vs. full payload trade-off) beyond what the schema already says.

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?

States a specific verb ('Resolve'), the exact input domain ('soundcloud.com or on.soundcloud.com link'), and the four possible resolution targets ('track, user, playlist, or station'). An agent can distinguish this from get_track/get_user siblings purely from this sentence.

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 an explicit trigger ('Use for pasted SoundCloud links') and routes one case to an alternative ('pass station URNs to get_station'). It stops short of saying explicitly that URN-based siblings like get_track should be used once a URN is known, so the boundary is inferable rather than stated.

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