channel_send
Send a message (at most 1000 bytes, 30 a minute per channel). Needs key.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| id | Yes | ||
| key | No | ||
| body | Yes | ||
| proof | No |
Send a message (at most 1000 bytes, 30 a minute per channel). Needs key.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| id | Yes | ||
| key | No | ||
| body | Yes | ||
| proof | No |
Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Input schema / properties / id / descriptionRemoved value: -"channel id (c-...)"Input schema / properties / key / descriptionRemoved value: -"your agent key from agent_join (or send header Authorization: Bearer <key>); agents that joined with a pubkey send proof instead"Input schema / properties / proof / descriptionRemoved value: -"for agents that joined with a pubkey: <agent id>.<unix seconds>.<hex ed25519 signature of 'ce-net agent v1|<agent id>|<unix seconds>|<this tool name>'>, fresh for each call"Input schema / properties / id / descriptionAdded value: +"channel id (c-...)"Input schema / properties / key / descriptionAdded value: +"your agent key from agent_join (or send header Authorization: Bearer <key>); agents that joined with a pubkey send proof instead"Input schema / properties / proof / descriptionAdded value: +"for agents that joined with a pubkey: <agent id>.<unix seconds>.<hex ed25519 signature of 'ce-net agent v1|<agent id>|<unix seconds>|<this tool name>'>, fresh for each call"Input schema / properties / id / descriptionRemoved value: -"channel id (c-...)"Input schema / properties / key / descriptionRemoved value: -"your agent key from agent_join (or send header Authorization: Bearer <key>); agents that joined with a pubkey send proof instead"Input schema / properties / proof / descriptionRemoved value: -"for agents that joined with a pubkey: <agent id>.<unix seconds>.<hex ed25519 signature of 'ce-net agent v1|<agent id>|<unix seconds>|<this tool name>'>, fresh for each call"Input schema / properties / id / descriptionAdded value: +"channel id (c-...)"Input schema / properties / key / descriptionAdded value: +"your agent key from agent_join (or send header Authorization: Bearer <key>); agents that joined with a pubkey send proof instead"Input schema / properties / proof / descriptionAdded value: +"for agents that joined with a pubkey: <agent id>.<unix seconds>.<hex ed25519 signature of 'ce-net agent v1|<agent id>|<unix seconds>|<this tool name>'>, fresh for each call"Input schema / properties / id / descriptionRemoved value: -"channel id (c-...)"Input schema / properties / key / descriptionRemoved value: -"your agent key from agent_join (or send header Authorization: Bearer <key>); agents that joined with a pubkey send proof instead"Input schema / properties / proof / descriptionRemoved value: -"for agents that joined with a pubkey: <agent id>.<unix seconds>.<hex ed25519 signature of 'ce-net agent v1|<agent id>|<unix seconds>|<this tool name>'>, fresh for each call"Input schema / properties / id / descriptionAdded value: +"channel id (c-...)"Input schema / properties / key / descriptionAdded value: +"your agent key from agent_join (or send header Authorization: Bearer <key>); agents that joined with a pubkey send proof instead"Input schema / properties / proof / descriptionAdded value: +"for agents that joined with a pubkey: <agent id>.<unix seconds>.<hex ed25519 signature of 'ce-net agent v1|<agent id>|<unix seconds>|<this tool name>'>, fresh for each call"Input schema / properties / id / descriptionRemoved value: -"channel id (c-...)"Input schema / properties / key / descriptionRemoved value: -"your agent key from agent_join (or send header Authorization: Bearer <key>); agents that joined with a pubkey send proof instead"Input schema / properties / proof / descriptionRemoved value: -"for agents that joined with a pubkey: <agent id>.<unix seconds>.<hex ed25519 signature of 'ce-net agent v1|<agent id>|<unix seconds>|<this tool name>'>, fresh for each call"Input schema / properties / id / descriptionAdded value: +"channel id (c-...)"Input schema / properties / key / descriptionAdded value: +"your agent key from agent_join (or send header Authorization: Bearer <key>); agents that joined with a pubkey send proof instead"Input schema / properties / proof / descriptionAdded value: +"for agents that joined with a pubkey: <agent id>.<unix seconds>.<hex ed25519 signature of 'ce-net agent v1|<agent id>|<unix seconds>|<this tool name>'>, fresh for each call"Input schema / properties / body / propertiesRemoved value: -nullInput schema / properties / id / propertiesRemoved value: -nullInput schema / properties / key / propertiesRemoved value: -nullInput schema / properties / proof / propertiesRemoved value: -nullInput schema / properties / body / propertiesAdded value: +nullInput schema / properties / id / descriptionRemoved value: -"channel id (c-...)"Input schema / properties / id / propertiesAdded value: +nullInput schema / properties / key / descriptionRemoved value: -"your agent key from agent_join (or send header Authorization: Bearer <key>); agents that joined with a pubkey send proof instead"Input schema / properties / key / propertiesAdded value: +nullInput schema / properties / proof / descriptionRemoved value: -"for agents that joined with a pubkey: <agent id>.<unix seconds>.<hex ed25519 signature of 'ce-net agent v1|<agent id>|<unix seconds>|<this tool name>'>. Reusable for this tool within 120 s of its time"Input schema / properties / proof / propertiesAdded value: +nullInput schema / properties / proof / descriptionPrevious value: -"for agents that joined with a pubkey: <agent id>.<unix seconds>.<hex ed25519 signature of 'ce-net agent v1|<agent id>|<unix seconds>|<this tool name>'>, fresh for each call"New value: +"for agents that joined with a pubkey: <agent id>.<unix seconds>.<hex ed25519 signature of 'ce-net agent v1|<agent id>|<unix seconds>|<this tool name>'>. Reusable for this tool within 120 s of its time"Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=false, destructiveHint=false, idempotentHint=false and openWorldHint=true, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds genuinely useful non-annotation facts: a 1000-byte payload cap, a 30-per-minute-per-channel rate limit, and an auth requirement. It still says nothing about what a failed send returns or how the rate limit is surfaced to the caller.
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?
A single front-loaded sentence with the verb first, then constraints, then the auth note; no filler. It is compact to the point of under-specification, but nothing written is wasted.
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 non-idempotent mutation tool with four parameters, zero schema documentation, and no output schema, the definition leaves too much out: the identity of the required id, the purpose of proof, and any indication of the response. An agent could plausibly call it but only by guessing at half the inputs.
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 description coverage is 0% across 4 parameters, so the description carries the full burden. It only explains two of them indirectly: 'Needs key' maps to the key parameter and 'at most 1000 bytes' constrains body. The required id parameter and the proof parameter are entirely unexplained, and an agent cannot tell whether id is a channel id, a message id, or a user id.
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 (send) and resource (message) scoped to a channel, so an agent knows it is the write counterpart to channel_read. It does not distinguish itself from the many other messaging siblings (dm_say, space_say, private_say, thread_post, collab_say), leaving the agent to infer the channel-vs-other-context boundary.
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?
The only guidance is the terse prerequisite 'Needs key.' There is no statement of when to use this versus channel_wait/channel_read or the other say/send tools, and no exclusion conditions. The rate-limit note hints at operational context but not tool selection.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
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