Skip to main content
Glama
Sign In

SHIP

by ai.letsship
OverviewDiscussionsAdmin

Start site database export

start_site_database_export

Start an export of the production database of a site that SHIP made with Start from scratch: one SQL file with the schema and every row. The call waits up to about 15 seconds. While the status is running, get_site_database_export reads it until it is ready, with pollAfterSeconds between two reads. One export runs at a time for each site. A start within ten minutes of a ready export answers that export, and a site gets 6 new exports in each hour. The file is not part of the result. When the status is ready, download it with ship sites export-db <SITE_ID> --export <EXPORT_ID>, or from GET /v1/sites/{siteId}/database/exports/{exportId}/file. The file holds every row of the site, the email addresses of its waitlist too: the call needs the site-database:export scope and an owner or an admin of the workspace.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "siteId": "<siteId>"
    },
    "name": "start_site_database_export"
  }
}

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
siteIdYesSite id from list_sites

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Added

TDQS

A4.6/5.0
Behavior5/5

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

Annotations only say it is a non-read-only, non-destructive, non-idempotent write; the description adds far more: a ~15s blocking wait, one concurrent export per site, a 10-minute reuse window, a 6-per-hour rate limit, the fact that the file is not in the result, and the required site-database:export scope plus owner/admin role. It also discloses that the file contains sensitive data (all rows, including waitlist email addresses), which is exactly the kind of consequence an agent should surface before invoking.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Purpose is front-loaded and nearly every sentence carries non-redundant operational detail. It is, however, one dense run-on paragraph, and the auth requirement is crammed into the final sentence after a colon, so the permission prerequisite is easy to miss on a quick read.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Complete for a one-parameter async-export starter: the description explains the blocking window, how to poll, concurrency and rate constraints, that the file is excluded from the result, and the two ways to retrieve it. With no output schema needed and full param coverage, nothing an agent requires to call this correctly is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100% and the single parameter's schema description already points at list_sites, so the schema carries most of the load. The description still adds eligibility semantics the schema lacks: the site must be one built with Start from scratch, and the export runs against production rather than sandbox — information that constrains which siteId is valid.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ("Start an export of the production database of a site") and pins the scope further with "a site that SHIP made with Start from scratch" plus the concrete artifact: "one SQL file with the schema and every row." This is clearly distinguishable from list_site_database_exports and get_site_database_export, which are read operations on the same resource.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly routes the agent to get_site_database_export for polling while status is running and gives the concrete download paths for when status is ready, which is strong sequencing guidance. The gap is that it never says when *not* to call this (e.g. to check on an existing export, use list_site_database_exports), and the ten-minute reuse rule is buried mid-paragraph rather than framed as a decision the caller should make before starting.

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

All SHIP toolsInspect
Try in Browser
One endpoint for every MCP toolRayrun runs every MCP server behind one URL and holds the credentials. Each call is decided per client, tool, and argument, then recorded.ray.runAd

Glama MCP Gateway

Add one secure layer between your agents and this server.

Resources