List episodes

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, openWorldHint and destructiveHint=false, so safety is fully covered. The description's only genuinely new behavioral detail is the provenance warning that episode titles are third-party RSS text (a mild injection caution); the newest-first ordering merely restates the schema. Adequate but not rich beyond the annotations.

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 tight sentences, zero padding, with the core purpose and ordering front-loaded before the usage hint and the provenance caveat. Every sentence carries information an agent needs.

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 no output schema, the description does the necessary work by naming the returned fields and sort order. It does not mention pagination or whether a limit truncation is signalled, a minor gap for a list tool with a 500-item cap, but otherwise complete.

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 100%, with all three parameters documented (identifier formats, limit default/max, case-insensitive substring search applied before limit). The description adds no parameter detail beyond the schema, so the baseline 3 is correct.

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 and resource ('List a show's episodes') and enumerates the returned fields (OP3 episode ids, titles, publication dates) plus ordering (newest first). This clearly separates it from siblings like op3_get_show (show metadata) and op3_episode_downloads (metrics), so an agent can pick it without opening a 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 when-to-use: resolve an episode id before calling anything episode-level, which correctly routes the agent toward this tool as a prerequisite step. It does not, however, name an alternative for the aggregate-analytics case or state exclusions, so it falls short of the 5 bar.

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