session_checkpoints

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, so safety is covered. The description adds one genuinely useful behavioral fact beyond the annotations, the newest-first ordering, but says nothing about pagination, result size, or how checkpoints relate to session_restore. Adequate but thin for a read tool.

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?

A single sentence with no waste, with the resource and the ordering constraint front-loaded. It could be a shade more informative without losing brevity, but nothing needs trimming.

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 read-only list tool with full schema coverage and no output schema, the description covers the essentials. It does omit what a checkpoint represents and how the listing is used downstream (session_restore), which would help an agent place it in the workflow.

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%, and the schema already explains that session_id comes from session_create. The description adds no syntax, format, or constraint detail beyond the schema, so the baseline 3 applies.

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 ('List') and resource ('checkpoints') scoped to a remote session, and adds ordering ('newest first'). It does not explicitly distinguish itself from the singular sibling session_checkpoint, but any agent can tell a listing operation apart from the others.

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?

There is no when-to-use guidance, no mention of the related siblings (session_checkpoint for creating one, session_restore for consuming one), and no prerequisites or exclusion criteria. The intent of a list tool is implied but nothing routes the agent between this and its cluster mates.

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