list_congress_politicians

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

The description goes far beyond the readOnlyHint and openWorldHint annotations, disclosing non-superseded trade filtering, exactly how trade types count (e.g., Sale and PartialSale count as sells; Exchange only toward total), ordering behavior, pagination, live query behavior, and the 402 PLAN_REQUIRED failure mode. This is exceptionally transparent.

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?

The description is dense but every sentence earns a place: result scope, counts semantics, ordering, use case, alternative endpoint, plan requirement, and caching behavior. It front-loads the core purpose and avoids filler.

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, so the description does the work of explaining what each result includes: total/buy/sell counts, sell semantics, and most recent disclosure date. The ordering, pagination, live-query behavior, plan requirement, and full-profile alternative complete the context an agent needs to invoke the tool 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 description coverage is 100%, and both page and per_page are already described with defaults and maximums. The description's mention of 'paginated list' reinforces the parameter purpose but adds minimal semantic detail beyond the schema. Baseline 3 is appropriate.

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 opens with a specific verb and resource: 'Ranked rollup of politicians by congressional trade activity.' It clearly differentiates this from siblings like list_congress_trades and get_congress_politician by describing the aggregated politician-level nature and trading counts.

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 states when to use the tool: 'Use this to discover active traders.' It also provides a direct alternative for full profiles with a specific endpoint, making routing between this and get_congress_politician clear. The plan requirement is also stated, which is valuable usage guidance.

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