list_skills

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

With no annotations provided, the description bears full responsibility for behavioral disclosure. It only states 'List all available skills' without mentioning return format, pagination, ordering, permissions, or any caveats about what 'available' means. For a read-only enumeration this is acceptable but sparse.

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, direct sentence with no filler. It front-loads the verb and resource, making the purpose instantly scannable. This is appropriately concise for a parameterless list operation.

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 tool with no parameters and no output schema, the description is minimally sufficient. It tells the agent that it lists all skills, which is likely enough to invoke correctly. However, it omits any context about the nature of 'skills' or potential limitations (e.g., only active ones), which could matter in edge cases. Overall adequate but not rich.

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 tool has zero parameters, and the schema is empty (100% coverage by default). The description adds no parameter-specific semantics because none exist, so the baseline of 4 applies. No further detail is needed.

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 action ('List') and the resource ('all available skills'). It implies a broad enumeration, which distinguishes it from get_skill (retrieve a specific one) and run_skill (execute). However, it doesn't explicitly contrast with siblings, so it earns a 4 rather than a 5.

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 on when to use this tool versus alternatives. While it is intuitive that listing all skills is the purpose, the description doesn't mention when to prefer it over get_skill or refresh_skills. A sentence like 'Use this to enumerate skills, as opposed to fetching a single skill or refreshing the list' would elevate this.

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