List Directory Categories

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, destructiveHint=false and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds value on top: "List every" signals a complete enumeration with no pagination, and the field list tells the agent what payload to expect. Return-shape and pagination caveats are the only remaining gaps.

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 short sentences, no filler. The field inventory comes first, the cross-tool routing second, the optional filter last — a sensible front-loaded order for a listing tool.

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?

There is no output schema, and the description compensates by enumerating every returned field. With one optional parameter fully documented in the schema and annotations covering the safety profile, an agent has everything needed to call this correctly.

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 group parameter is already documented as an optional slug with an example, so baseline is 3. The description adds a usage cue ("Optionally limit to one group") but its parenthetical example list — "Agent Building, AI Models, Data & Search" — reads as human group names while the schema requires slugs, introducing mild ambiguity rather than resolving it.

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?

Specific verb plus resource ("List every Swarmnest directory category") with the exact returned fields enumerated: slug, name, short description, entry count, group. The final sentence routes the agent away from search_directory, so the tool is distinguishable from its siblings 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?

Explicitly tells the agent how the output feeds a downstream call: "Use the slugs as the category filter in search_directory." That is a concrete when-to-use signal and names the alternative. It stops short of an explicit exclusion (e.g. don't call this when you already know the category), so it lands at 4 rather than 5.

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