Stream Status

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

With no annotations, the description carries the full burden, and it discloses a genuinely non-obvious side effect: each call resets the session's idle timer, so a read-looking status poll actually keeps the session alive. That is high-value behavioral context, though permissions, error behavior for unknown sessions, and any rate limits remain unstated.

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 tight sentences, front-loaded with what the tool returns and followed by the polling side effect. No filler and no repetition of structured fields.

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?

An output schema exists, so return values need not be explained, and the description covers purpose plus the idle-watchdog interaction. The remaining gap is session_id provenance and behavior on an invalid/expired session, minor for a one-parameter status tool.

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 0% and the single session_id parameter is undocumented. The phrase 'the session's idle timer' only implicitly hints that session_id identifies a session; nothing states its format or where the agent obtains it (presumably from start_stream).

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?

States a specific verb+resource: a 'live snapshot of a streaming session' with example fields (running, deviceConnected). It does not explicitly distinguish itself from the sibling get_live_session or stop_stream, so an agent must infer the boundary, but the purpose itself is unambiguous.

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?

Usage is implied rather than stated: 'Polling this...' signals the intended call pattern and the description references start_stream's idle_timeout_sec, but it never says when to choose this over get_live_session or what happens if the session has already ended.

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