List products

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds that variants/SKUs are returned alongside products, but says nothing about pagination behavior, ordering, or result size beyond what the schema states. Reasonable but thin given annotations carry most of the load.

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 compact sentences, front-loaded with the core purpose followed immediately by filtering capability. No filler or redundancy.

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 read-only list tool with annotations covering the safety profile and no output schema, the description gives enough to call it correctly: purpose, filter dimensions, and variant inclusion. Minor gaps around pagination and result ordering keep it from a 5.

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 only 29% (just limit/offset), but the description names the five filter dimensions that map directly to the otherwise-undocumented q, status, collection_id, category_id, and tag_id parameters. It compensates for the coverage gap by identifying what can be filtered, though it omits ID-format expectations.

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 (Lists) and resource (products) and adds scope detail that it includes variants/SKUs, which single-product tools like get_product do not. It does not explicitly differentiate itself from adjacent collection tools such as list_catalog or list_inventory, so an agent must infer the boundary.

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?

It enumerates the filter dimensions (full-text, status, collection, category, tag), which implies how to narrow results, but gives no explicit when-to-use guidance or alternatives (e.g., use get_product for a single product, list_inventory for stock). Usage is implied rather than stated.

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