Get Announcements

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds the scoping behavior (specific course vs all courses) but does not disclose output shape, ordering, 'recent' window, or pagination traits.

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 short sentences front-load the core action and then give concrete trigger phrases for when to call the tool. There is no filler or redundant detail.

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 tool with two optional parameters and high schema coverage, the description adequately covers purpose, filtering options, and usage context. The only notable omission is a description of the return payload, but that is not critical given the simple resource type and no output schema.

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 parameter behavior is already documented. The description's mention of filtering by course mirrors the schema's courseId explanation rather than adding new meaning, and count is fully specified in 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?

The description opens with a specific verb and resource: 'Fetch recent announcements from your courses.' It also distinguishes the tool from siblings by naming exact user intents like announcements, news, updates from instructors, recent posts, and what professors said. An agent can confidently select this over get_assignments, get_discussions, or get_syllabus.

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 description explicitly lists when to use the tool: whenever the user asks about announcements, news, updates from instructors, recent posts, or what professors said. It does not explicitly state when not to use it or name alternatives, but the sibling list makes the separation clear enough.

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