listNotebooks

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint and idempotentHint, so the description is not required to repeat safety traits. The description adds no further behavioral context (e.g., whether it supports pagination or the format of results), which is acceptable given the annotations.

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 sentence with no filler, effectively front-loading the purpose. It is concise but lacks detail that could improve utility without harming conciseness.

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 has one optional parameter and no output schema, the description is incomplete: it does not explain the maxResults parameter or what the output contains (e.g., notebook IDs, names). More context is needed for an agent to use this tool correctly.

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 coverage is 0% with one parameter maxResults. The description does not explain what maxResults does (e.g., limits the number of notebooks returned). Since the description fails to compensate for the lack of schema descriptions, it adds no value for parameter semantics.

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 the action 'List' and the resource 'OneNote notebooks available to the signed-in user', differentiating it from siblings like getNotebook (single) and listSections/listPages (sub-resources).

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 context that it lists notebooks for the signed-in user, implying it should be used to get a user's notebooks. However, it does not explicitly mention when not to use this tool or alternatives like getNotebook for a specific notebook.

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