Stele

Search nodes and documents

search

Read-only

Find nodes or documents by the words they contain. Nothing here matches by meaning, so use recall for a natural-language question. method "keyword" (default): ranked full-text search over active nodes; terms are AND-combined, and a multi-word query that matches nothing is retried once as an OR of its words. It returns cards, not bodies (default limit 5). method "exact": the matching line per node for a literal substring, or a POSIX regex with regex:true, across every status including done and archived (default limit 50). scope "documents": a line search of document bodies, a literal substring or, with regex:true, a JavaScript regex; it ignores method and type, and limit caps the number of documents unless max_docs is set. Every hit carries id, title, and url; limit is at most 50, with no paging. Read a full body with fetch.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`type`	No	Limit node results to one type.
`limit`	No	Max results.
`query`	Yes	What to search for.
`regex`	No	For method "exact": treat query as a POSIX regex. For scope "documents": treat query as a JavaScript regex.
`scope`	No	"nodes" (default) or "documents".
`method`	No	"keyword" (default, ranked relevance) or "exact" (literal term/pattern).
`max_docs`	No	For scope "documents" only. Max docs in the response. Default 10.
`component_id`	No	For scope "documents" only. Optional parent-component filter. Pass a COMP-N to scope the search to docs under that component.
`project_slug`	Yes	Project slug, e.g. "acme-app" — list(what="projects") returns yours.
`context_lines`	No	For scope "documents" only. Lines of surrounding context returned before and after each match. Default 1.
`case_sensitive`	No	For scope "documents" only. Default false (case-insensitive).
`max_matches_per_doc`	No	For scope "documents" only. Max matches surfaced per doc. Default 5.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`data`	Yes	Ranked search results with ChatGPT-compatible citation fields.
`action`	Yes	The action that produced this result.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed5 schema fields changedOct 24, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

removedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

changedOutput schema / properties / data / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```
changedOutput schema / properties / data / properties / results / items / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```

Changed6 schema fields changedOct 3, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / case_sensitive

Added value: +{
+  "description": "For scope \"documents\" only. Default false (case-insensitive).",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / component_id

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "description": "Shareable id: TASK-N (task), KNOW-N (knowledge), COMP-N (component), DOC-N (document), or NODE-N (any).",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "null"
+    }
+  ],
+  "description": "For scope \"documents\" only. Optional parent-component filter. Pass a COMP-N to scope the search to docs under that component."
+}

addedInput schema / properties / context_lines

Added value: +{
+  "description": "For scope \"documents\" only. Lines of surrounding context returned before and after each match. Default 1.",
+  "maximum": 10,
+  "minimum": 0,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / max_docs

Added value: +{
+  "description": "For scope \"documents\" only. Max docs in the response. Default 10.",
+  "maximum": 50,
+  "minimum": 1,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / max_matches_per_doc

Added value: +{
+  "description": "For scope \"documents\" only. Max matches surfaced per doc. Default 5.",
+  "maximum": 50,
+  "minimum": 1,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / regex / description

Previous value: -"For method:exact — treat query as a POSIX regex."New value: +"For method \"exact\": treat query as a POSIX regex. For scope \"documents\": treat query as a JavaScript regex."

First observedOct 2, 2026

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior3/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnly, non-destructive, closed-world, so safety is covered. The description adds genuinely useful behavior beyond that: no paging, hard 50 cap, cards not bodies with default limit 5, and that "exact" spans done and archived while keyword search covers active nodes only. A 3 reflects that these are real additions layered on already-declared safety semantics.

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?

Dense but front-loaded: purpose and the `recall` exclusion come first, then behavior per method and scope. Every clause carries distinct semantics, though the single unbroken block makes the mode-specific rules slightly harder to scan than a bulleted form would.

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?

Output schema exists, so return shapes needn't be explained, yet the description still notes that hits carry id/title/url and that bodies require `fetch`. With 12 parameters across two modes, the mode-specific rules and caps are all accounted for.

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 baseline is 3, but the description adds meaning the schema lacks: defaults of 5 (keyword) and 50 (exact), that limit caps documents unless max_docs is set, and the AND-combine with one OR retry. Only the less-used document options (context_lines, case_sensitive, max_matches_per_doc) are left to the schema alone.

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: 'Find nodes or documents by the words they contain', then immediately contrasts with `recall` (meaning-based) and `fetch` (full body). An agent can distinguish this from every sibling without opening the 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?

Explicit routing: use `recall` for a natural-language question, `fetch` for a full body. It also names the conditions selecting each mode — method "keyword" vs "exact", and scope "documents" for line search of document bodies.

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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