Get a Harness Engineering Handbook Chapter

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, and destructiveHint, covering safety. The description adds useful behavioral context by stating it returns the full Markdown body plus provenance and related ids, which goes beyond the annotations. It does not mention auth or rate limits, but annotations lower the bar.

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 two sentences, front-loaded with the primary action and resource, and every sentence adds value. It avoids redundancy and is appropriately concise for a simple retrieval tool.

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 the tool's low complexity, full schema parameter descriptions, output schema existence, and annotations covering safety, the description is complete. It covers what the tool returns, how to identify a chapter, and when to use it, leaving no critical gaps for an agent to select and invoke it.

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 100% for both parameters, so the description need not compensate. The description reiterates the id example ('HRN-001') and slug behavior already present in the schema, adding no new meaning. The locale parameter is not mentioned in the description, but the schema fully covers it.

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 identifies the verb ('Get') and resource ('Harness Engineering Handbook chapter'), and distinguishes from siblings by specifying retrieval by id or slug. It also explicitly differentiates itself from search/list_handbook by noting those are used to obtain the id.

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 provides explicit usage context: 'Use this once `search` or `list_handbook` has given you an id.' This tells the agent when to use the tool and names the alternative tools for discovery, serving as a clear sequencing guideline.

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