diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 790d5a2..eb10e47 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -40,8 +40,9 @@ app = App(
     ),
 )
 
-@app.tool(id="send_email", description="Send one email.")
+@app.tool(id="send_email")
 def send_email(to: str, subject: str, body: str) -> dict:
+    """Send one email."""
     return {"ok": True, "to": to, "subject": subject}
 
 DAILY_FOLLOWUPS = schedule.cron(
@@ -88,15 +89,6 @@ ara runtime control call --session sess-123 --action list_windows
 ara runtime control call --session sess-123 --action launch_app --arg id=browser --arg url=https://mail.google.com
 ```
 
-If you prefer embedded script commands (`python app.py deploy`), add:
-
-```python
-from ara_sdk import run_cli
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    run_cli(app)
-```
-
 `ara logs app.py` streams live runtime events for the app across all active runs.
 Each line includes timestamp + run id + event type. To persist output, use shell piping:
 
diff --git a/examples/01-c-agent-skills-loading.py b/examples/01-c-agent-skills-loading.py
index bb7e12a..7c6cdf1 100644
--- a/examples/01-c-agent-skills-loading.py
+++ b/examples/01-c-agent-skills-loading.py
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
 
 @app.tool(
     id="title_case_decorator",
-    description="Convert input text by dispatching to the decorator-registered title-case handler.",
 )
 def title_case_decorator(text: str) -> dict:
+    """Convert input text by dispatching to the decorator-registered title-case handler."""
     # Keep registry + decorator local to the tool function because ara_sdk stores
     # and executes function source for runtime tools; module globals are not guaranteed.
     handlers: dict[str, callable] = {}
diff --git a/examples/02-canonical-email-chat-cron.py b/examples/02-canonical-email-chat-cron.py
index 1ccec42..05a37e3 100644
--- a/examples/02-canonical-email-chat-cron.py
+++ b/examples/02-canonical-email-chat-cron.py
@@ -54,8 +54,9 @@ def _looks_like_email(value: str) -> bool:
     return re.fullmatch(r"[^@\s]+@[^@\s]+\.[^@\s]+", candidate) is not None
 
 
-@app.tool(id="send_email", description="Send one email via Resend API.")
+@app.tool(id="send_email")
 def send_email(to: str, subject: str, body: str) -> dict:
+    """Send one email via Resend API."""
     api_key = (os.getenv("RESEND_API_KEY") or "").strip()
     sender = (os.getenv("CRON_EMAIL_FROM") or "").strip()
     recipient = (to or "").strip()
diff --git a/src/ara_sdk/__init__.py b/src/ara_sdk/__init__.py
index ccbacc9..c82d2d1 100644
--- a/src/ara_sdk/__init__.py
+++ b/src/ara_sdk/__init__.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
     local_file,
     runtime,
     run_auth_cli,
-    run_cli,
     run_runtime_cli,
     sandbox,
     schedule,
@@ -42,7 +41,6 @@
     "local_file",
     "runtime",
     "run_auth_cli",
-    "run_cli",
     "run_runtime_cli",
     "sandbox",
     "schedule",
diff --git a/src/ara_sdk/__main__.py b/src/ara_sdk/__main__.py
index 7b72084..c7bbfdb 100644
--- a/src/ara_sdk/__main__.py
+++ b/src/ara_sdk/__main__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import sys
 from types import ModuleType
 
-from .core import App, run_auth_cli, run_cli, run_runtime_cli
+from .core import _run_app_cli, App, run_auth_cli, run_runtime_cli
 
 
 def _print_help(bin_name: str) -> None:
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ def main() -> None:
         raise SystemExit(f"Script not found: {script}")
     module = _load_module(script)
     app = _discover_app(module)
-    run_cli(app, argv=[command, *sys.argv[3:]], default_command=command)
+    _run_app_cli(app, argv=[command, *sys.argv[3:]], default_command=command)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/src/ara_sdk/core.py b/src/ara_sdk/core.py
index 4d5681a..cc4ef45 100644
--- a/src/ara_sdk/core.py
+++ b/src/ara_sdk/core.py
@@ -1009,7 +1009,6 @@ def tool(
         self,
         *,
         id: Optional[str] = None,
-        description: str = "",
         parameters: Optional[dict[str, Any]] = None,
     ) -> Callable[[Callable[..., Any]], Callable[..., Any]]:
         def decorator(fn: Callable[..., Any]) -> Callable[..., Any]:
@@ -1024,7 +1023,7 @@ def decorator(fn: Callable[..., Any]) -> Callable[..., Any]:
             if not source.startswith("def "):
                 raise ValueError("@app.tool only supports standard def functions")
             params_schema = dict(parameters) if isinstance(parameters, dict) else _callable_parameters_schema(fn)
-            tool_description = str(description or fn.__doc__ or "").strip()
+            tool_description = str(fn.__doc__ or "").strip()
             item = {
                 "type": "function",
                 "function": {
@@ -2791,7 +2790,7 @@ def run_auth_cli(argv: Optional[list[str]] = None) -> None:
     )
 
 
-def run_cli(app: App | dict[str, Any], argv: Optional[list[str]] = None, *, default_command: str = "deploy") -> None:
+def _run_app_cli(app: App | dict[str, Any], argv: Optional[list[str]] = None, *, default_command: str = "deploy") -> None:
     app_obj = app if isinstance(app, App) else None
     manifest = app_obj.manifest if app_obj is not None else dict(app)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_manifest.py b/tests/test_manifest.py
index 98e317e..86e5fb0 100644
--- a/tests/test_manifest.py
+++ b/tests/test_manifest.py
@@ -118,14 +118,14 @@ def send_email(to: str, subject: str, body: str) -> dict:
         """Send an email payload."""
         return {"ok": True, "to": to, "subject": subject, "body": body}
 
-    app.tool(id="send_email", description="Send email via tool.")(send_email)
+    app.tool(id="send_email")(send_email)
 
     manifest = app.manifest
     tools = manifest["agent"]["tools"]
 
     assert tools[0]["type"] == "function"
     assert tools[0]["function"]["name"] == "send_email"
-    assert tools[0]["function"]["description"] == "Send email via tool."
+    assert tools[0]["function"]["description"] == "Send an email payload."
     assert tools[0]["function"]["parameters"]["properties"]["subject"]["type"] == "string"
     assert tools[0]["function_name"] == "send_email"
     assert tools[0]["source"].startswith("def send_email")
@@ -136,9 +136,9 @@ def test_tool_supports_multiline_decorator_arguments():
 
     @app.tool(
         id="send_email",
-        description="Send an email payload.",
     )
     def send_email(to: str):
+        """Send an email payload."""
         return {"ok": True, "to": to}
 
     tools = app.manifest["agent"]["tools"]
@@ -818,7 +818,7 @@ def deploy(self, **kwargs):
         classmethod(lambda cls, *, manifest, cwd=None: stub),
     )
 
-    core.run_cli(
+    core._run_app_cli(
         _manifest_with_runtime(runtime_profile={}),
         argv=["up", "--warm", "true"],
     )
@@ -850,7 +850,7 @@ def setup_auth(self, **kwargs):
         "from_env",
         classmethod(lambda cls, *, manifest, cwd=None: stub),
     )
-    core.run_cli(
+    core._run_app_cli(
         _manifest_with_runtime(runtime_profile={}),
         argv=["setup-auth", "--x-key-name", "demo-x", "--x-key-rpm", "55", "--ensure-runtime-key", "true"],
     )
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ def setup_auth(self, **kwargs):
 
 def test_cli_rejects_unknown_subcommand(capsys):
     with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
-        core.run_cli(_manifest_with_runtime(runtime_profile={}), argv=["not-a-command"])
+        core._run_app_cli(_manifest_with_runtime(runtime_profile={}), argv=["not-a-command"])
     assert exc.value.code == 2
     err = capsys.readouterr().err
     assert "invalid choice" in err
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@ def logs(self, runtime_key=None, app_header_key=None):
         classmethod(lambda cls, *, manifest, cwd=None: stub),
     )
 
-    core.run_cli(
+    core._run_app_cli(
         _manifest_with_runtime(runtime_profile={}),
         argv=["logs"],
     )
diff --git a/tests/test_standalone_cli.py b/tests/test_standalone_cli.py
index feea89a..7efbfde 100644
--- a/tests/test_standalone_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_standalone_cli.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from ara_sdk import __main__ as sdk_main
 
 
-def test_standalone_cli_dispatches_command_to_run_cli(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+def test_standalone_cli_dispatches_command_to_app_cli(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     script = tmp_path / "app.py"
     script.write_text(
         "\n".join(
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def _run_cli(app, argv=None, *, default_command="deploy"):
         captured["argv"] = list(argv or [])
         captured["default_command"] = default_command
 
-    monkeypatch.setattr(sdk_main, "run_cli", _run_cli)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(sdk_main, "_run_app_cli", _run_cli)
     monkeypatch.setattr(
         sdk_main.sys,
         "argv",