trawl_recent

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

With no annotations, the description carries the burden and does disclose the non-obvious behavior: the sort key falls back through published date, PDF creation date, crawl first-seen, and text-changed time. It does not cover what a returned document contains (full text vs. snippet), whether results are truncated or paginated beyond `limit`, or cost/latency, so it falls short of full disclosure.

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 sentences, front-loaded with the action and ordering, then the routing rule. The four-item date enumeration is dense but each item earns its place by defining the ordering the agent must reason about.

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?

For a 3-parameter read-only listing with no output schema, the description covers what is listed, how it is ordered, and when to prefer it. It stops short of describing the response shape or pagination behavior, which an agent might want when requesting `limit: 100`.

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%, so baseline is 3, but the description adds real meaning by defining which date the `since` cutoff is compared against (the 'best date known'), which the schema's one-line description does not clarify. `limit` and `pool_name` add nothing beyond the schema.

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 pool's documents newest first' — and immediately explains what 'newest' means via the four date sources. It is clearly distinguishable from the many trawl_search* siblings because it is a listing ordered by date, not a query-ranked retrieval.

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 routes the agent: 'Use this, not search, for "what's new" / "recent news" questions.' Names the alternative (search) and the condition that selects this tool, with concrete example phrasings an agent can pattern-match.

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