canvas_create_page

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

With no annotations, the description carries the full burden and does well: it discloses the mutation, the UNPUBLISHED default, and the non-obvious slug/url behavior (returned url vs numeric page_id). It omits permission/auth requirements and any duplicate-title or error behavior, keeping it short of a 5.

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 purpose and the critical mutation/default caveats before the Args block, and the url-slug note is placed where it matters. Slightly verbose but every line carries 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?

For a 5-param mutation tool with no annotations and an output schema present, the description covers the essentials: what it mutates, default state, and the meaning of the returned url (which the output schema alone would not convey). Missing only permission/precondition details.

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 0%, so the description must compensate, and it documents all five params: body as HTML, published as student visibility with default False, front_page as the home-page toggle, and course_id's CANVAS_DEFAULT_COURSE_ID fallback. title/body definitions are thin ('page title', 'page HTML'), but the rest adds real meaning beyond the bare 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?

States a specific verb+resource ('Create a wiki page') and immediately flags 'MUTATES the course', which cleanly separates it from the read-oriented siblings canvas_get_page and canvas_list_pages. An agent can identify it without opening the schema.

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 implied by the verb and the mutation warning, and it references canvas_get_page/canvas_update_page as downstream consumers of the returned url, but it never states when to choose this over alternatives or any exclusions/preconditions. Adequate but no explicit routing.

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