search_atlas

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 one genuine behavioral fact — 'Every entry is sourced from vendor docs' — which tells the agent results are curated/vendor-verified. It says nothing about ranking, result limits, pagination, or empty-result behavior, which a search tool should disclose.

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?

Front-loaded with verb and resource, and the closing sentence about vendor-doc sourcing is short and earns its place. The middle enumeration is long but functional since it enumerates the searchable index. No filler or repeated information.

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?

With only two parameters at full schema coverage and no output schema, the bar is low, and the description successfully conveys the corpus being searched. It stops short of describing what a result looks like or how to go from a search hit to the sibling retrieval tools, leaving a gap for a discovery tool with 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%, with both the query string and the type enum fully documented in the schema, so the baseline is 3. The description's list of content categories loosely mirrors the enum values but adds no syntax, matching behavior, or filtering semantics beyond what the schema already provides.

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 (Search) and a named resource (AgentAtlas) and enumerates the covered content types, which map cleanly onto the type enum. It does not, however, distinguish itself from siblings get_guide/get_mcp_server, which appear to be per-entry lookups rather than discovery — the agent must infer that relationship.

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?

Usage is only implied: the enumeration of guides, MCP servers, benchmarks, etc. suggests this is the broad discovery entry point, and the query example ('cursor sandbox') hints at free-text search. There is no explicit statement of when to use this versus get_guide or get_mcp_server, nor any exclusion.

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