ZenMoney Transaction

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

With no annotations, the description carries full burden. It mentions 'in-memory snapshot', hinting at data sourcing, but omits details on error handling (e.g., not found), permissions, or side effects. Acceptable for a simple get operation but could be more explicit.

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?

The description is a single, concise sentence that efficiently conveys the core functionality without any fluff. Every word contributes to understanding.

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?

Despite a simple interface, the description lacks information about return values (no output schema), error states, or pagination. For a tool that retrieves a single entity, more context on expected behavior (e.g., null or error for missing ID) would improve completeness.

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 description adds no additional meaning to the 'id' parameter beyond its name and type. The tool description fails to clarify what the ID represents or any constraints on its format.

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 clearly states it retrieves one transaction by its ID, specifying the source as 'in-memory ZenMoney snapshot'. This distinguishes it from siblings like transactions_list, which retrieves multiple transactions.

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 implies use when you have a specific transaction ID, but lacks explicit guidance on when to prefer this over alternatives like transactions_list or transactions_suggest. No when-not-to-use advice is provided.

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