Search Apple Podcasts for episodes

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

Beyond the readOnly/idempotent annotations, the description discloses meaningful behavioral traits: Apple's episode index is shallower than its show index, skews recent, and may miss indexed shows' older episodes. This helps the agent set expectations and choose alternatives.

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?

Three purposeful sentences: the action, the use case, and the limitation/alternative. The description is front-loaded and every sentence earns its place without redundancy.

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 read-only search tool with full parameter documentation and no complex output schema, the description is complete enough. It covers what the tool does, when to use it, and the key caveat about indexing depth, leaving no critical information missing.

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 schema already documents all three parameters completely, so the baseline is 3. The description adds real value for the query parameter by advising that including the show name narrows results because Apple ranks episode matches loosely. It does not add meaning for limit or storefront, but those are already well covered by 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 and resource: searching Apple's catalog for individual episodes across all shows. It clearly distinguishes itself from related tools like search_podcasts and get_feed by focusing on episodes rather than shows or feeds.

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 explicitly says when the tool is useful (finding topic coverage or guest appearances) and gives a concrete exclusion: older episodes may not surface because the episode index is shallow, and the complete record is available via get_feed. This routes the agent to the right alternative.

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