aiworkhub_dashboard_task_retention_preview

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, and the description reinforces and extends that with concrete behavior: it opens the task database read-only, excludes archived tasks with pending or inflight callbacks, and never mutates task rows. It also discloses the preview_digest output, which an agent needs to chain into quarantine.

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-loads the READ-ONLY safety marker, then purpose, then prerequisites, in three short sentences with no filler. Each sentence carries distinct information (safety, ordering, exclusion semantics).

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?

An output schema exists, so return values (including preview_digest) need no prose explanation, and the annotations cover the safety profile. For a zero-required-parameter preview tool, everything an agent needs to call it and then chain into quarantine is present.

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% and the single parameter already documents its default and the 7..3650 valid range, so baseline 3 applies. The description only implicitly conveys that the cutoff controls eligibility and adds no syntax or format detail beyond the schema.

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?

States a specific verb pair (preview / list) against a specific resource (archived task rows eligible for retention quarantine, plus existing undo batches), and names sibling tools it is not (quarantine, archive). An agent can distinguish it from aiworkhub_dashboard_task_quarantine and aiworkhub_dashboard_task_archive without opening any 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?

Gives an explicit ordering rule: call this before aiworkhub_dashboard_task_quarantine to inspect candidate counts and obtain preview_digest. It also names an alternative path (aiworkhub_dashboard_task_archive) for the single-task case, so when-to-use and when-to-use-something-else are both stated.

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