reddit_list_user_comments

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

Annotations already provide readOnlyHint=true, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds useful behavioral facts beyond the schema: the ~1000-item pagination ceiling shared with reddit_list_user_posts, and the presence of a parent id on each comment that enables thread lookup. It doesn't detail output shape or auth, but the annotation lowers that burden.

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 with no filler. The core purpose is front-loaded, and the second sentence adds two genuinely useful facts (ceiling and parent-id linkage) without repeating schema content.

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 5 parameters, full schema coverage, and readOnlyHint, the definition is sufficient for selecting and invoking the tool: it states the resource, the pagination ceiling, and how to connect a result to reddit_get_post. It is slightly light on return-value structure, but no output schema is present and the parent-id clue is actionable.

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%; every parameter (sort, time, after, limit, username) already has a meaningful description, enums, defaults, or constraints. The tool description adds no parameter-level detail beyond what the schema provides, so the baseline of 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 opens with a concrete verb ('List'), a clear object ('comments'), and a scope qualifier ('an account has written'). This makes it immediately distinguishable from sibling reddit_list_user_posts, and the reference to reddit_get_post frames what the result is for.

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 intended use case — listing a user's comment history — is clear, and the parent-id note gives an explicit follow-up path to reddit_get_post. It does not state an explicit 'use X instead' or when-not-to-use condition, but the tool's scope is obvious enough to route an agent.

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