list_categories

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

With no annotations, description carries full burden. It discloses that the tool returns a top-level structure (not full content) and is efficient. Could be more explicit about being read-only and safe, but adequately transparent for a discovery tool.

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 well-crafted sentences with no wasted words. Front-loads the purpose and immediately follows with usage guidance. Highly concise.

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?

Given no output schema, description adequately explains return content (rubric areas, pattern slugs, glossary entry slugs). Could mention format (e.g., list of objects) but overall sufficient for the tool's simplicity.

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?

No parameters exist, so baseline is 4. Description adds value by explaining what the output contains, even though it doesn't need to discuss parameters.

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?

Description clearly states the tool returns the top-level structure of the corpus, listing specific categories (rubric areas, pattern slugs, glossary entry slugs). It explicitly distinguishes itself from sibling getters by positioning itself as a discovery tool.

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 tells when to use: 'as a discovery tool before more specific queries' and explains benefit: avoids exhaustive crawling. This clearly differentiates from sibling tools that retrieve specific items.

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