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

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full behavioral burden. It discloses several non-obvious traits: preserves encoding and local line endings, adapts indentation via .editorconfig, and supports dry-run and hash-guarded edits. It does not detail failure modes or response format, but for a mutation tool it offers respectable transparency.

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 a single, tight sentence that front-loads the core action ('Replace exact text in a file') and packs three behavioral notes into a compact clause. Every phrase earns its place with zero fluff.

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?

The tool is moderately complex with 10 parameters, but all are fully documented in the schema. The description covers key behavioral aspects (encoding, line endings, indentation, dry-run, hash). However, it lacks guidance on when to use this tool versus the closely related siblings (write, patch, multiedit), which is a meaningful completeness gap for correct selection.

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%, so the baseline is 3. The description reiterates the purpose of dry_run and expected_hash and adds context about indentation adaptation, but does not add meaning beyond what the schema already documents for the parameters. It neither compensates for gaps nor contradicts the schema.

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 states a specific verb ('Replace'), a resource ('a file'), and a distinctive qualifier ('exact text'), clearly separating it from write (new content) and patch (diff-based). It does not name sibling tools, but the exact-text aspect is sufficiently differentiating against the sibling set.

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 implies usage for exact text replacement and mentions advanced features (dry-run, hash-guard) that suggest safe editing contexts. However, it provides no explicit guidance on when to use this tool versus write, patch, or multiedit, and offers no exclusion criteria or alternative routing.

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

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

With no annotations, the description carries full behavioral burden, and it excels: it discloses sorting by modification time, default limits (200 paths, 32768 chars), skip rules for hidden and ignored paths, and pagination via next_cursor and metadata (total/has_more/truncated). This is thorough and actionable, covering the major behavioral traits an agent needs to anticipate.

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 compact and front-loaded with the core purpose, followed by key behaviors and return metadata. Every sentence adds distinct information (recursion, sorting, defaults, exclusions, pagination) with no filler. It is well-structured and easy to scan.

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 8 parameters, no annotations, and no output schema, the description covers the essential usage context: purpose, defaults, skip rules, sorting, and pagination metadata. It clearly states the return includes metadata and a cursor, which is sufficient for an agent to invoke and handle results. Minor gaps exist (e.g., exact shape of the path list) but these are not critical for correct invocation.

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 100%, so baseline is 3. The description adds value beyond the schema by explaining how parameters interact: e.g., include_hidden affects traversal, include_ignored overrides skip rules, and limit/cursor govern pagination. It also clarifies default behavior (workspace-relative, 200 limit). This enriches parameter understanding without contradicting the schema.

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 opens with a clear verb and resource: 'Finds files matching a glob pattern.' It immediately distinguishes from siblings like listdir (directory listing) and grep (content search) by specifying pattern matching and recursive support. This is a specific, unambiguous purpose.

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 implies usage when pattern-based file discovery is needed but does not explicitly state when to prefer this over listdir or grep, nor does it list exclusions (e.g., 'for directory contents, use listdir'). Context is provided via behavior (e.g., default limits, skip rules) but not as routing guidance. It is adequate but not explicit.

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

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

With no annotations, the description carries the full burden and does a strong job: it discloses encoding-awareness, binary skipping in directories, bounded pagination, ignored-path controls, and output modes. It does not mention rate limits or auth, but for a read-only search tool, this is comprehensive. No contradiction with annotations since none exist.

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, front-loaded with the core purpose, and every clause adds value (modes, filters, output behavior, binary handling). No fluff, well-structured for quick parsing.

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?

Despite 18 parameters and no output schema, the description covers the major behavioral areas (search scope, filters, pagination, binary handling). It does not explicitly mention incompatibilities like cursor vs. context, but those are captured in the schema. The description is sufficient for an agent to understand the tool's role and invoke it correctly.

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%, so the schema already documents every parameter. The description adds high-level context (e.g., 'context, glob filters, content/file/count modes') that maps to parameters but does not explain each individually. It does not go beyond the schema, so a baseline 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 clearly states a specific verb ('Regex-search') and resource ('encoding-aware files or directories'), and enumerates key features that distinguish it from siblings like glob (which finds filenames) and read (which reads content). It leaves no ambiguity about what the tool does.

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 implies usage via feature list but does not explicitly state when to use grep versus alternatives (e.g., 'use for content search, not filename matching'). It does clarify directory vs. explicit file behavior, but lacks direct routing guidance or exclusions, so the agent must infer from sibling names.

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

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

With no annotations, the description carries the full burden and does a good job: it discloses pagination mechanics, skip behavior for hidden/build/vendor entries, the flat/tree distinction, counting mode, and token-saving relative paths. It does not describe the exact response fields, but it mentions has_more and next_cursor sufficient to drive pagination.

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?

Each sentence carries a distinct responsibility: definition, defaults, pagination, filtering, output modes, skipped entries. There is no filler or repetition, and key information is front-loaded.

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?

The description covers defaults, pagination, filtering, output modes, and behavioral exclusions, which is a solid level of context. Since there is no output schema, the only minor gap is omitted return record shape, but the provided behavior is enough for a capable agent.

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 100%, so the baseline is 3, but the description adds relationship semantics beyond the schema: pagination binds has_ more to the cursor parameter, name_pattern versus include as single/multi OR patterns, and counts_only relative_paths as output modifiers. These are not obvious from names alone.

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 'lists directory contents' and immediately adds the defining scope: bounded, pageable output. This is a specific verb plus resource and distinguishes the tool from siblings like read, write, and grep, even before opening the schema.

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 gives practical usage guidance: paginate with cursor when has_more=true, filter with directories_only/files_only, and use counts_only or relative_paths for optimization. It does not explicitly tell an agent when to prefer listdir over sibling tools like glob, but the tool's 'list directory contents' purpose implies the context.

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

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden, and it does this well. It discloses sequential application, atomic rollback on any failure, encoding preservation, CRLF/LF line-ending awareness, and alias support. These are meaningful behavioral characteristics beyond what the schema shows and are critical for correct agent use.

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?

Each sentence earns its place: core function first, then ordering, atomicity, encoding, line endings, alias, and dry-run. It is detailed but compact, and the most important operational facts are front-loaded before the alias and dry-run notes.

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 multi-edit file mutation tool with no annotations and no output schema, this description is unusually complete: it tells the agent what action, in what order, with what safety guarantees, and how to preview. Return format is not described, but the invocation-relevant behavior is covered thoroughly.

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 100%, so the baseline is 3. The description adds value by clarifying that old_string matching is encoding- and line-ending-aware, that newlines in inserted text follow the edited region, that path is an alias for file_path, and that dry_run preveview changes. This supplements the schema rather than restating it.

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 states a specific action ('Applies multiple old_string -> new_string replacements to a single file'), includes the precise edit primitive, and differentiates itself from siblings like edit by emphasizing multiple replacements, sequential application, and atomicity. An agent can clearly understand what the tool does and roughly how it differs from single-edit or patch alternatives.

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?

It provides clear use-context: a single file with many ordered replacements, plus a dry_run option for previewing. It does not explicitly name sibling alternatives or state when not to use it, but the description makes the intended scenario obvious and includes an actionable preview-first workflow.

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

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

No annotations exist, so the description carries the full behavioral burden. It discloses encoding auto-detection, default line and character budgets, truncation metadata with continuation positions, per-file error isolation, and the 50-file cap. This is unusually transparent 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?

Every sentence contributes a distinct behavior or usage constraint: purpose, encoding, line/character limits, per-file modes, failure handling, and max file count. It is dense but not bloated, and the most important fact is front-loaded.

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 9 parameters, no annotations, and no output schema, the description is remarkably complete. It covers defaults, limits, semantics, file failure handling, encoding behavior, and truncation continuation positions, leaving an agent with the practical knowledge needed to invoke it and interpret its results.

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 input schema already covers 100% of parameters, so the baseline is 3. The description adds value by tying parameters to usage modes: global offset/limit vs per-file files entries, the interaction of all=true with the total character budget, and the 50-file request cap not visible in the schema. These aggregates help an agent pick the right parameter shape.

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 opens with a specific verb and resource: 'Reads multiple files in a single call to reduce API round-trips.' This immediately distinguishes it from the single-file 'read' sibling and clearly states the batching purpose.

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 strong contextual guidance: use the tool for reading multiple files efficiently, choose global file_paths/paths vs per-file files objects depending on offset/limit needs, and understand failure/encoding/limit behavior. It does not explicitly name the single-file 'read' tool as the alternative, but the multiple-vs-single distinction is clear.

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

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

The description directly contradicts the provided annotations: it says the tool 'applies changes' and can modify a file, while annotations mark readOnlyHint=true and destructiveHint=false. This is an annotation contradiction, which forces the lowest score regardless of the strong encoding and line-ending details.

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 concise and well-structured: it front-loads the primary action, then adds useful encoding/line-ending behavior, and ends with an actionable dry-run usage. Every sentence contributes unique information.

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?

The tool description covers the behavioral full picture: diff format, context verification, encoding preservation, line-ending behavior, and dry-run safety. The confusing annotation contradiction prevents a 5, but as a standalone spec it is nearly complete.

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 input schema already describes all four parameters clearly, including patch, dry_run, and the path aliases. The description adds little beyond restating that dry_run previews without modifying, so 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?

The description starts with a precise verb-resource pair: 'Applies a unified diff patch to a file.' It further clarifies behavior with hunk parsing and context verification, making it clearly distinct from nearby siblings like edit, write, or multiedit.

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 conveys a clear use-case: applying unified diff output to a file, with dry_run for preview. It does not explicitly contrast with edit or write, but the diff-specific framing makes the correct context fairly obvious.

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

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

With no annotations at all, the description carries the full burden and addresses key behaviors: encoding detection, SVG staying text, bounded output with truncation/next_offset reporting, and image results as ImageContent. It does not discuss permissions or failure modes, but for a read operation it discloses the traits most likely to surprise an agent.

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?

Four short sentences front-load the core behavior and pack each line with non-redundant detail (images, encoding, truncation, paging, paths). No sentence is wasted and the structure lets an agent scan quickly.

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 10-parameter, 0-required, no-output-schema tool, the description covers the most important invocation concerns: return type, encoding edge case, truncation reporting, paging, and path base. It does not spell out all optional parameters, but those are fully documented in the schema, so an agent can call the tool correctly.

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 100%, so the baseline is 3, but the description adds value beyond the schema by explaining paging semantics ('Use offset/limit to page') and relative path resolution ('workspace or MCP root'). This helps disambiguate offset/limit and file_path without repeating every schema field.

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 opens with a specific action ('Read text') and a clear resource, and covers the image-return case ('raster images as ImageContent'), going beyond a bare tautology. It does not explicitly name a sibling such as multiread to differentiate, but the core behavior is unambiguous.

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?

It gives actionable context for paging ('Use offset/limit to page') and path interpretation ('relative paths use the workspace or MCP root'), which helps an agent decide how to call it. However, it provides no explicit guidance on when to prefer a sibling like multiread or grep, so the when-vs-alternatives guidance is implied rather than stated.

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

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden. It discloses that output is paged and preserved, that describe can be compact, and that profile management exists. However, it does not reveal side effects of enable/disable/profile operations (like whether they alter persistent state), auth requirements, or any output format details. For a tool that can modify bindings and profiles, more transparency is needed, but the basic behavioral facts are present.

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 dense but poorly structured: it front-loads operational guidance but then lists operations and profiles in an unorganized way. Each sentence adds info, but the flow is jumbled, mixing instructions, operation list, and profile list without clear separation. It's not concise enough for the complexity; ideally it would use a structured list for operations and profiles.

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's complexity (12 parameters, multiple operations, nested objects), the description covers the high-level workflow and mentions key parameters and profiles. However, it lacks details on return values (no output schema), side effects of enable/disable/profile, and edge cases like how output_id relates to output operation. It is minimally adequate but leaves gaps that an agent might need to infer or test.

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%, so each parameter already has a description in the schema. The description adds some usage context around certain parameters (e.g., 'compact' and 'tool_operation' relationship, 'profile' list), but it doesn't add meaning beyond the schema for most parameters. It does clarify the default operation is 'list' and that 'schema_handle' might return a short acknowledgement, but that's marginal. With full coverage, baseline 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 lists multiple operations ('list', 'describe', 'call', etc.) and the tool name 'toolbox' hints at a dispatch tool, but the core purpose is not stated as a single verb+resource. It bundles several operations, making the primary purpose ambiguous. The list of sibling tools (read, write, edit) are specific file operations, while this one is a general dispatcher, but that distinction is implied rather than explicit.

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 gives some guidance on when to use certain operations: 'Use describe, preferably compact with tool_operation, then call with arguments' and 'output retrieves preserved paged command output'. However, it does not explicitly contrast with alternatives or state exclusions. It implies that for performance, compact describe is preferred, but it doesn't say when NOT to use this tool vs. siblings; it assumes the agent knows this is a dispatch tool.

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

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

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It does well by revealing important side effects: overwriting, preserving existing encoding, applying .editorconfig for new files, and creating parent directories. It stops short of mentioning irreversibility risks, permissions, or failure behavior, but the core destructive nature is communicated through 'overwrite.'

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 a single focused sentence that front-loads the primary action ('Create or overwrite a file') and then adds three compact behavioral details. Every clause earns its place, with no filler or repetition of schema information.

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 write tool, the description covers the essential contextual details: overwrite semantics, encoding handling, editorconfig behavior, and directory creation. It lacks an explicit note about destructive impact or comparison to edit/patch, but the schema covers parameter requirements and the description provides enough behavioral context for correct invocation.

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%, so the structured fields already document content, file_path, and path as an alias. The description adds no parameter-specific detail beyond the schema, which matches the baseline of 3; no compensation 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 names a specific verb and resource ('Create or overwrite a file') and further specifies exact behavior: preserving encoding, applying .editorconfig for new files, and creating parent directories. This clearly identifies it as a whole-file write operation and differentiates it from siblings like edit, patch, and multiedit, which imply targeted changes.

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 implies when to use the tool—creating new files or fully overwriting existing ones—but does not explicitly say when not to use it or mention alternatives such as edit/patch for partial modifications. An agent can infer the use case from 'Create or overwrite a file,' but there is no direct routing guidance.

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