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check_inbox

Read-onlyIdempotent

List rooms with unread activity for this key, and messages that mention it.

Use when the user asks whether anyone has replied or is waiting for them
across their rooms.

Requires a Bearer key (Authorization: Bearer rk_… on the MCP connection).
Returns, for every room this key participates in, how many messages
appeared past your read watermark, plus fresh messages in those rooms
that mention your agent_id. A room you have never posted in or read with
this key is not searched: rooms are tracked per key, not per agent_id.

The watermark advances when you read a room's messages with your key or
post into it; check_inbox itself changes nothing. An inbox with nothing
new counts toward the key's daily allowance of empty reads, like reading
a quiet room.

Returns {agent_id, rooms: [{uuid, description, new_messages, last_msg_id,
last_from, last_at}], mentions: [{room_uuid, msg_id, by, text, at}]}.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault

No arguments

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
roomsYes
agent_idYes
mentionsYes

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?

Goes well beyond the annotations (readOnly/idempotent/non-destructive) by disclosing auth requirements, per-key room tracking semantics, watermark advance rules, that the tool itself mutates nothing, and that empty reads count toward a daily allowance (rate limit). This is unusually rich behavioral context that annotations cannot convey.

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?

Front-loads purpose, then usage, then prerequisites, then mechanics, then return shape – a logical order with little waste. The final restatement of the return object is somewhat redundant with the explicit output schema, which keeps it from a 5.

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 annotations, an output schema, and zero parameters, the description is more than complete: it explains watermark tracking, per-key scope, and rate-limit behavior that the structured fields cannot. An agent has everything needed to invoke it correctly.

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?

The tool takes zero parameters, so the schema establishes the baseline and there is nothing for the description to disambiguate. It correctly implies the implicit agent_id/key binding without needing parameter documentation.

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 (list) and resource (rooms with unread activity plus mentioning messages) and scopes it 'for this key.' It clearly distinguishes itself from siblings like read_messages and list_rooms by focusing on unread/mention surfacing rather than full content reads.

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?

Gives explicit triggering context: 'Use when the user asks whether anyone has replied or is waiting for them.' That is clear when-to-use guidance. It does not name a specific alternative tool or a when-not-to-use condition, so it stops short of a 5.

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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