cn402_tcm_herb

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

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It mentions 'lookup' but does not describe side effects, authorization needs, or what happens if the herb is not found. The price note is confusing and does not clarify behavior. There is no mention of read-only or destructive actions.

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 verbose and repetitive, listing many synonyms for Chinese herbs and properties. The price sentence is unnecessary and adds noise. It is not front-loaded with the most critical information; the first sentence is a keyword dump rather than a clear statement of action.

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?

Given no output schema, the description should explain the return format. It mentions 'properties (nature, taste, meridian) and clinical uses' but does not specify how the output is structured or what fields to expect. For a simple one-param tool, this is incomplete, as an agent might need to know the output shape to chain calls.

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?

The input schema has 100% coverage for the single required parameter 'name', with a description already providing examples. The tool description adds no additional semantic meaning beyond the schema's documentation. Baseline 3 is appropriate since the schema fully specifies the 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 clearly states it is a 'TCM herb lookup' tool for looking up Chinese herbs with traditional properties and clinical uses. It uses multiple keywords (herb properties, meridian, temperature, taste) to specify the domain, and it distinguishes itself from sibling TCM tools like cn402_tcm_constitution and cn402_tcm_meridian by focusing on herbs.

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 does not provide any when-to-use or when-not-to-use guidance. It does not mention alternatives or prerequisites, such as using other TCM tools for constitution or bazi. The inclusion of 'Price: unknown on Base' is irrelevant and does not help with usage context.

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