Publish a post

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

Annotations already flag destructiveHint, but the description adds critical behavioral context: the post becomes public immediately, Threads has no edit endpoint, and confirm: true is mandatory. It also discloses the wait-then-publish flow, going well beyond what annotations provide.

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 sentences, front-loaded with the core action, then critical consequences, then a routing rule. No wasteful prose; every sentence earns its place.

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 13-parameter publish tool, the description covers the central behavior, irreversibility, confirmation requirement, and the main sibling alternative. The only gap is the lack of any mention of the expected return value or failure behavior, especially given there is no output schema.

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 each parameter already has a rich description, so the baseline is 3. The main description adds little per-parameter meaning beyond the schema; it reinforces the 500-char limit and confirm requirement but does not introduce new parameter semantics.

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: 'Publish one post to Threads', and explains the internal flow (creates media container, waits, then publishes). It also distinguishes itself from the sibling create_thread by the 500-character rule, so an agent can disambiguate without opening schemas.

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 an explicit when-to-use ('publish one post') and an explicit when-not-to-use with a named alternative: 'For anything over 500 characters use create_thread instead.' It also communicates the required confirmation flag and irreversibility, which are essential usage conditions.

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