List Calendar Events

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

With readOnlyHint=true already declaring the safety profile, the description adds useful behavioral context: it lists the calendar sources included and states results are 'in date order.' It does not disclose pagination or output format, but it goes meaningfully beyond the annotation.

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 resource and scope, with zero filler. The exclusion for assignment status is placed immediately after the scope statement, which is efficient.

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, six-parameter list tool with 100% schema coverage and no output schema, the description supplies enough context to call it correctly and route away when appropriate. Minor gaps like pagination behavior are tolerable given schema richness.

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 all six parameters are fully documented in the schema. The description only echoes the scoping effect of course_identifier ('unless course_identifier narrows it'), adding little beyond what the schema already states.

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 uses a specific verb and resource ('List your Canvas calendar') and enumerates the event types covered, so an agent knows exactly what it returns. It also names the alternative tool for assignment submission status, distinguishing it from get_my_upcoming_assignments.

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 gives a clear condition for narrowing scope ('unless course_identifier narrows it') and explicitly routes submission-status queries to get_my_upcoming_assignments. It does not mention when to prefer get_calendar_event for a single event, but the primary alternative is well covered.

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