create_skill

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

With no annotations, the description carries the behavioral disclosure burden. It adds meaningful details: creating the SKILL.md file, not auto-linking, and optionally writing provenance to skills/<id>.md. It does not mention overwrite behavior or failure cases, but the core side effects are clearly disclosed.

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?

Two short sentences deliver the essential information with no wasted words. The primary action and path are front-loaded, followed by the important caveat and optional side effect.

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?

The description covers the main side effects and file path, and an output schema exists to describe return values. However, it lacks guidance on overwriting existing skills, prerequisites, and how to achieve linking if needed. For a create tool with no annotations, this leaves some practical gaps.

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 description coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate. It clarifies skill_id as the path id and why as the optional provenance trigger, but it does not explain the 'content' or 'description' parameters. These names are somewhat self-explanatory, but the description only partially maps the parameters to their meanings.

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 states a specific action and resource: 'Create skills/<id>/SKILL.md'. This clearly distinguishes create_skill from siblings like create_stanza and create_role, and the 'Does not auto-link' note differentiates it from link_skill.

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 implies usage context by saying 'Create', but it does not explicitly state when to prefer this tool over alternatives such as update_skill or link_skill. The 'Does not auto-link' note suggests a follow-up linking step, but no explicit when/when-not guidance is provided.

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