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Mailbox MCP

by com.mailbox-mcp.mcp
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Mark emails as read

mark_read
Idempotent

Mark messages as read. Reading a message through this connector does NOT mark it read, deliberately, so this is the separate act that does - run it when the person asks for it, never because you have looked at something. Pass every message you want marked in ONE call. THE RESULT IS VERIFIED RATHER THAN ASSUMED: the flags are read back off the server afterwards, so a message that could not be changed is named individually instead of being folded into a success, and a batch really can half-succeed. A uid only means something in the folder it came from, so pass mailbox whenever the uids did not come from INBOX - the commonest way to get this wrong is to search Archive and then mark read against the default. Marking a message that is already read changes nothing and is not an error. mark_unread is the undo.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
uidsYesThe UIDs to act on, from list_emails, search_emails or select_emails. Pass EVERY message you want changed in ONE call - this tool acts on the whole set in a single operation, and doing it that way costs the user one call instead of one per message. Up to 500 at a time. A single message is simply a one-element array.
mailboxNoIMAP folder name. Defaults to INBOX.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed1 schema field changed
    • changedInput schema / properties / uids / description
      Previous value: -"The UIDs to act on, from list_emails or search_emails. Pass EVERY message you want changed in ONE call - this tool acts on the whole set in a single operation, and doing it that way costs the user one call instead of one per message. Up to 500 at a time. A single message is simply a one-element array."New value: +"The UIDs to act on, from list_emails, search_emails or select_emails. Pass EVERY message you want changed in ONE call - this tool acts on the whole set in a single operation, and doing it that way costs the user one call instead of one per message. Up to 500 at a time. A single message is simply a one-element array."
  2. First observed

TDQS

A4.9/5.0
Behavior5/5

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

Goes well beyond the annotations (readOnly=false, idempotent=true, destructive=false) by disclosing that results are verified against the server, that batches can genuinely half-succeed with per-message failures named, and that marking an already-read message is a no-op rather than an error. The folder-scoping rule for uids is real operational context an agent could not infer from structured fields.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

Front-loads the action, then the caution, then the verification behavior, then the parameter pitfall, then the undo relationship. Despite its length, every sentence carries a distinct, load-bearing instruction and none is redundant.

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?

With no output schema, the description takes on the job of explaining returns (per-message verification, partial success) and does so. For a two-parameter mutation with full annotation coverage, nothing an agent needs to call it 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% so the baseline is 3, but the description adds genuine semantic weight: why `mailbox` matters (a uid only means something in the folder it came from, with the Archive-search pitfall called out) and that `uids` should carry the whole set in one call. That is meaningful context beyond the schema text.

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 ('Mark messages as read') and immediately differentiates from the natural sibling read_email by explaining that reading does not mark read. An agent can distinguish this from mark_unread, flag_email, and read_email without opening any schema.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

Gives explicit when-to-use ('run it when the person asks for it') and when-not ('never because you have looked at something'), names mark_unread as the inverse action, and prescribes batching every message in ONE call. This is close to exhaustive routing guidance.

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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