list_paused

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, destructiveHint=false, and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description mostly restates what the tool returns (paused devices + daemon status), which the output schema already supplies, so it adds only modest behavioral context about the enforcement daemon.

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?

A single compact sentence with no filler and the scope front-loaded. It is arguably a fragment rather than a full sentence, which slightly weakens the framing but wastes no words.

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, the description need not explain return values, and annotations carry the safety profile. For a zero-parameter read tool it is complete enough, though a brief note on what 'Eclipse Pause' means would help an unfamiliar agent.

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?

The tool takes zero parameters, so there is no parameter semantics to explain; baseline is 4. The description appropriately does not invent 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?

The description names the resource precisely ('Devices currently held in Eclipse Pause') and adds a second dimension ('whether the enforcement daemon is running'). This clearly separates it from siblings like list_devices, pause_device, and resume_device, though it is a noun phrase rather than a verb-led statement.

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?

Usage is only implied: an agent can infer this is the read-side companion to pause_device/resume_device, but there is no explicit 'use this when...' or exclusion guidance. Nothing is misleading, but nothing directs the choice either.

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