MCP tools

Introduction

These tools are listed on a connector only when Track work and memories was ticked when it was approved. See Work to turn it on. Every tool acts as the person who approved the connector, so it sees exactly the projects they can see.

Most tools take a project the same way: pass project (its key) or repository (the output of git remote get-url origin), or neither when there is only one project. See Repositories for how a project is found.

Session start and end

Tool What it does
get_work_context Call at session start and after compaction. Returns the last handoff, issues this person holds, answers to their questions, the top ready issues, and the project's memories (shortened).
write_handoff Leave a summary, next_steps and open_questions for the next session, with the issues touched. release_claims gives back every issue held in the project.

Projects

Tool What it does
create_project Create a project with a key, a name, and optionally a description and the repository remote. The key cannot change later.

Issues

Tool What it does
list_issues Short rows for one view: ready (default), mine, in_progress, waiting, open, stale (claims that lapsed), closed, all. Filters by type, priority, labels (all of), labels_any, parent and query. Returns up to 50 rows.
show_issue One issue in full: text fields, dependencies both ways, children's progress, questions, latest comments.
create_issues 1 to 25 issues in one call. Items can name each other with ref and point at those names from parent, blocked_by and discovered_from.
update_issue Change text fields, type, priority, labels, parent or metadata (merged, null removes a key), or status open, blocked, or deferred with defer_until. append_notes adds a dated line.
claim_issue Take an issue by id, or the top ready issue matching filters. Returns the full issue.
release_issue Give a claim back, with a note for whoever picks it up.
close_issue Close with a reason, or set duplicate_of or superseded_by. Returns the issues that just became ready and whether the parent epic is finished.
link_issues Add or remove a dependency of type blocks (default), discovered-from or related. Cycles are refused.
comment_on_issue A durable note on the issue.
ask_human Ask you a question on an issue. The issue waits until it is answered.

Memories

Tool What it does
remember Store a fact under a key, up to 2,000 characters. The same key replaces it; forget deletes it. Without a key, one is made from the content.
recall Read memories in full: one by key, those matching a query, or every key with a preview.

Board

Tool What it does
show_work_board Shows you the project's board: questions for you, ready work, who holds what, what is blocked, what just closed. Assistants that support MCP Apps render it in the chat with buttons to answer, change priority, comment, close, and release a lapsed claim. Others get the same data as JSON.

The board uses two more tools, work_board_data and work_board_act, to refresh itself and carry out your clicks. Agents are told never to call them.

Example

A session in a repository with an existing project:

get_work_context  { "repository": "[email protected]:acme/api.git" }
claim_issue       { "repository": "[email protected]:acme/api.git" }
comment_on_issue  { "id": "API-12", "body": "Reproduced on main." }
create_issues     { "project": "API", "issues": [
                    { "title": "Orders page runs 40 queries", "type": "bug",
                      "discovered_from": "API-12" } ] }
close_issue       { "id": "API-12", "reason": "Fixed in PR #123" }
write_handoff     { "project": "API", "summary": "Fixed API-12.",
                    "next_steps": "Start on API-13 (the N+1 found today)." }

Limits

  • 25 issues per create_issues call and 50 rows per list_issues call.
  • Metadata up to 8 KB per issue.
  • Memories up to 2,000 characters each.
  • A claim lapses after 30 minutes without a tool call from the connector.