List Hosting Plans

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

Annotations already cover the safety profile (readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive, closed-world), so the description's job is to add beyond that. It does: it discloses that the catalog is volatile ('Currently Secure Static Hosting; more products are added over time'), which is behavior an agent cannot infer from annotations. It does not describe ordering or result shape limits, keeping it short of a 5.

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 tight sentences, front-loaded with what is returned, then when to use it, then the volatility caveat. Every sentence carries distinct information with no repetition of the title or annotations.

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?

With no parameters and no output schema, the description carries the burden of describing the return payload, and it does so by naming the fields returned. It leaves out ordering/pagination details, which is minor for a small fixed catalog but is the only real gap.

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 tool takes zero parameters, so there is nothing for the description to disambiguate; baseline is 4. The mention of acknowledged_cost_cents is a cross-tool handoff hint rather than a parameter on this tool, but it usefully links the output to create_hosting's input.

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 (list) and resource (hosting plans provisionable via the API), and enumerates the returned fields (price, interval, trial length, features). It is immediately distinguishable from neighbors like get_hosting or create_hosting.

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?

Explicitly says to use it to discover plans and costs before calling create_hosting rather than hardcoding them, naming the sibling it feeds into. This gives the agent a clear action sequence, not just context.

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