batch_archive_messages

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

The description clearly discloses that the operation moves messages into the Archive well-known folder, a concrete and useful behavioral trait. It does not address reversibility, partial failures, permissions, return behavior, or batch limits, and no annotations compensate for these 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?

The description is a single, front-loaded sentence with no filler. Every phrase—'list', 'bulk move', and 'Archive well-known folder'—adds meaningful selection and invocation information.

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 annotations, no output schema, and 0% parameter schema coverage, the short description leaves crucial context missing. An agent cannot reliably infer the role of the optional mailbox parameter, expected return values, failure behavior, or whether the operation is atomic.

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, but it only maps 'list of messages' to message_ids. The optional mailbox parameter is left entirely unexplained, and the description does not clarify whether it is a source, destination, or scope parameter.

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 verb ('Archive') and resource ('list of messages'), and clarifies the operation as a bulk move to the Archive well-known folder. This clearly distinguishes it from singular archive_message and from generic batch_move_messages even without naming them.

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 words 'list' and 'bulk' imply this tool is for archiving multiple messages at once, which separates it from archive_message. However, there is no explicit when-to-use or when-not-to-use guidance, and no mention of alternatives such as archive_message or batch_move_messages.

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