search_books

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

Discloses no auth and no HTML parsing, which is useful. However, lacks information on rate limits, error handling, or pagination behavior, which would be important for an agent.

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?

Three efficient sentences, each serving a purpose: purpose, technical detail, return info. No unnecessary 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?

Covers the tool's function, technical approach, and return fields. With an output schema present, the return info may be redundant, but still adds completeness. Lacks only minor details like error behaviors.

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 has 0% description coverage, so the description must compensate. It clarifies the query parameter accepts title/author/ISBN, but doesn't explain max_results semantics beyond its default.

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?

Description clearly states searching Goodreads for books by title/author/ISBN, which differentiates it from siblings like author_books or get_book. However, it doesn't explicitly call out the distinction.

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?

Implies usage for broad book searches, but provides no when-to-use vs alternatives or exclusions. The technical detail about JSON endpoint is helpful but not enough for usage guidance.

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