Read your home timeline

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

Annotations already cover read-only, idempotent, and non-destructive behavior. The description adds useful behavioral details beyond that: newest-first ordering, the feed scope, and the since_hours time-window mode versus fixed-count mode.

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 concise sentences lead with the core purpose and then add the one non-obvious usage nuance. There is no filler or 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 timeline retrieval tool, the description plus fully covered schema provides all needed semantics: feed scope, ordering, pagination parameters, account selection, and the special time-window behavior. No output schema is needed because the return type is implied by 'statuses'.

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 fully documents limit, max_id, account, and since_hours. The description adds only a slight rephrasing of since_hours as a time-window alternative, providing minimal extra value.

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 operation and resource: reading statuses from accounts and hashtags you follow, ordered newest first. This clearly distinguishes the home timeline from siblings like get_local_timeline, get_federated_timeline, and get_hashtag_timeline.

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 phrase 'accounts and hashtags you follow' gives clear context that this is the personalized home feed rather than public or list-based timelines. However, it does not explicitly name alternative tools or state when-not-to-use it.

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