List Meal Plans

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, destructiveHint=false and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile is fully covered by structured data. The description adds one genuinely new behavioral fact — results come back sorted by date — but restates the default window that the schema already documents and says nothing about result volume or 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?

A single front-loaded sentence with the action first and the range default and sort order appended. No filler, no redundancy, and nothing an agent must read past to find the core behavior.

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?

With an output schema present, the description need not explain return values, and both optional parameters are already documented at 100% coverage. The only shortfall is silence on how many entries a wide date range might return, which matters mildly for a list tool but is not blocking.

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 both parameters carry their own YYYY-MM-DD format notes and defaults ('today', '6 days after start_date'). The description's 'default: next 7 days' merely summarizes those defaults without adding format, boundary, or edge-case semantics, so it lands at the baseline.

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 uses a specific verb and resource ('List meal plan entries') and adds a scope constraint ('in a date range') plus an ordering guarantee ('sorted by date'). It is distinguishable from siblings like create_meal_plan_entry and delete_meal_plan_entry, though it never names get_meal_plan_for_date, the closest overlapping sibling.

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 date-range phrasing implies when to reach for this tool (browsing entries over a window) versus a single-day lookup, but that contrast is only inferable from sibling names, not stated. There is no explicit when-not guidance or mention of an alternative for single-date retrieval.

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