Similar rooms

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

Annotations already cover read-only/idempotent/safe, so the bar is lower. The description adds behavior the annotations cannot express: prices are undated starting prices without dates and re-priced for the stay with dates, and unavailable rooms are surfaced in a not_available list. That is genuine operational context beyond structured fields.

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?

Front-loaded with the core purpose, then the pricing/availability nuance, then the next-step tools. Every sentence adds information; there is no restatement of the title or padding.

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 an output schema present, return shape need not be explained, and the description instead covers the non-obvious parts: pricing mode depends on dates, booked/too-small rooms land in not_available, and the follow-on tools. Nothing an agent needs to invoke it correctly is missing.

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 100%, so the baseline is 3. The description goes further by explaining how check_in/check_out change price semantics and how guests filters out undersized rooms, adding interaction meaning that the per-parameter schema text does not fully convey.

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 first sentence states a specific verb (get), resource (alternatives to a room), scope (same city and type), and cardinality (4-5), and the phrase 'as the room page shows them' anchors it to a known surface. An agent can separate it from ot_search_rooms and ot_room without opening a schema.

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?

It gives explicit trigger conditions ('Use when the user's room is full or too expensive') and names follow-on tools (ot_room, ot_price_quote). It does not contrast itself against sibling discovery tools like ot_search_rooms, so the 'when-not' side is thin, but the routing guidance is real.

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