get_skill

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

Goes well beyond annotations by revealing scoring formula, recency decay, and score_breakdown return, providing deep insights into tool behavior.

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 dense sentences with front-loaded version and purpose, no filler, every sentence adds unique value.

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?

Covers scoring, filtering, and debug output adequately, but could mention pagination or empty result behavior. With no output schema, this is reasonably complete.

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?

Adds context for query (example) and file_path (filtering behavior), though top_k lacks additional description. Schema coverage is 67%, and description compensates partially.

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 it's a composite-ranked search over active skills with explicit scoring formula, distinguishing it from sibling tools like list_skills and search_decisions.

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?

Guidance is provided on using file_path for filtering, but no explicit when-not-to-use or comparison to alternatives is given.

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