Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`OUTLINE_API_KEY`	Yes	Your Outline API key (get this from your Outline account settings)
`OUTLINE_API_URL`	No	The URL of your Outline API (defaults to https://app.getoutline.com/api for cloud-hosted, or use your self-hosted instance URL)	https://app.getoutline.com/api

Name	Description
No prompts

Name	Description
No resources

Name	Description
search_documents	Searches for documents using keywords or phrases across your knowledge base. IMPORTANT: The search performs full-text search across all document content and titles. Results are ranked by relevance, with exact matches and title matches typically ranked higher. The search will return snippets of content (context) where the search terms appear in the document. You can limit the search to a specific collection by providing the collection_id. Use this tool when you need to: - Find documents containing specific terms or topics - Locate information across multiple documents - Search within a specific collection using collection_id - Discover content based on keywords Args: query: Search terms (e.g., "vacation policy" or "project plan") collection_id: Optional collection to limit the search to Returns: Formatted string containing search results with document titles and contexts
list_collections	Retrieves and displays all available collections in the workspace. Use this tool when you need to: - See what collections exist in the workspace - Get collection IDs for other operations - Explore the organization of the knowledge base - Find a specific collection by name Returns: Formatted string containing collection names, IDs, and descriptions
get_collection_structure	Retrieves the hierarchical document structure of a collection. Use this tool when you need to: - Understand how documents are organized in a collection - Find document IDs within a specific collection - See the parent-child relationships between documents - Get an overview of a collection's content structure Args: collection_id: The collection ID to examine Returns: Formatted string showing the hierarchical structure of documents
get_document_id_from_title	Locates a document ID by searching for its title. IMPORTANT: This tool first checks for exact title matches (case-insensitive). If none are found, it returns the best partial match instead. This is useful when you're not sure of the exact title but need to reference a document in other operations. Results are more accurate when you provide more of the actual title in your query. Use this tool when you need to: - Find a document's ID when you only know its title - Get the document ID for use in other operations - Verify if a document with a specific title exists - Find the best matching document if exact title is unknown Args: query: Title to search for (can be exact or partial) collection_id: Optional collection to limit the search to Returns: Document ID if found, or best match information
read_document	Retrieves and displays the full content of a document. Use this tool when you need to: - Access the complete content of a specific document - Review document information in detail - Quote or reference document content - Analyze document contents Args: document_id: The document ID to retrieve Returns: Formatted string containing the document title and content
export_document	Exports a document as plain markdown text. Use this tool when you need to: - Get clean markdown content without formatting - Extract document content for external use - Process document content in another application - Share document content outside Outline Args: document_id: The document ID to export Returns: Document content in markdown format without additional formatting
create_document	Creates a new document in a specified collection. Use this tool when you need to: - Add new content to a knowledge base - Create documentation, guides, or notes - Add a child document to an existing parent - Start a new document thread or topic Args: title: The document title collection_id: The collection ID to create the document in text: Optional markdown content for the document parent_document_id: Optional parent document ID for nesting publish: Whether to publish the document immediately (True) or save as draft (False) Returns: Result message with the new document ID
update_document	Modifies an existing document's title or content. IMPORTANT: This tool replaces the document content rather than just adding to it. To update a document with changed data, you need to first read the document, add your changes to the content, and then send the complete document with your changes. Use this tool when you need to: - Edit or update document content - Change a document's title - Append new content to an existing document - Fix errors or add information to documents Args: document_id: The document ID to update title: New title (if None, keeps existing title) text: New content (if None, keeps existing content) append: If True, adds text to the end of document instead of replacing Returns: Result message confirming update
add_comment	Adds a comment to a document or replies to an existing comment. Use this tool when you need to: - Provide feedback on document content - Ask questions about specific information - Reply to another user's comment - Collaborate with others on document development Args: document_id: The document to comment on text: The comment text (supports markdown) parent_comment_id: Optional ID of a parent comment (for replies) Returns: Result message with the new comment ID
move_document	Relocates a document to a different collection or parent document. IMPORTANT: When moving a document that has child documents (nested documents), all child documents will move along with it, maintaining their hierarchical structure. You must specify either collection_id or parent_document_id (or both). Use this tool when you need to: - Reorganize your document hierarchy - Move a document to a more relevant collection - Change a document's parent document - Restructure content organization Args: document_id: The document ID to move collection_id: Target collection ID (if moving between collections) parent_document_id: Optional parent document ID (for nesting) Returns: Result message confirming the move operation
archive_document	Archives a document to remove it from active use while preserving it. IMPORTANT: Archived documents are removed from collections but remain searchable in the system. They won't appear in normal collection views but can still be found through search or the archive list. Use this tool when you need to: - Remove outdated or inactive documents from view - Clean up collections while preserving document history - Preserve documents that are no longer relevant - Temporarily hide documents without deleting them Args: document_id: The document ID to archive Returns: Result message confirming archival
unarchive_document	Restores a previously archived document to active status. Use this tool when you need to: - Restore archived documents to active use - Access or reference previously archived content - Make archived content visible in collections again - Update and reuse archived documents Args: document_id: The document ID to unarchive Returns: Result message confirming restoration
delete_document	Moves a document to trash or permanently deletes it. IMPORTANT: When permanent=False (the default), documents are moved to trash and retained for 30 days before being permanently deleted. During this period, they can be restored using the restore_document tool. Setting permanent=True bypasses the trash and immediately deletes the document without any recovery option. Use this tool when you need to: - Remove unwanted or unnecessary documents - Delete obsolete content - Clean up workspace by removing documents - Permanently remove sensitive information (with permanent=True) Args: document_id: The document ID to delete permanent: If True, permanently deletes the document without recovery option Returns: Result message confirming deletion
restore_document	Recovers a document from the trash back to active status. Use this tool when you need to: - Retrieve accidentally deleted documents - Restore documents from trash to active use - Recover documents deleted within the last 30 days - Access content that was previously trashed Args: document_id: The document ID to restore Returns: Result message confirming restoration
list_archived_documents	Displays all documents that have been archived. Use this tool when you need to: - Find specific archived documents - Review what documents have been archived - Identify documents for possible unarchiving - Check archive status of workspace content Returns: Formatted string containing list of archived documents
list_trash	Displays all documents currently in the trash. Use this tool when you need to: - Find deleted documents that can be restored - Review what documents are pending permanent deletion - Identify documents to restore from trash - Verify if specific documents were deleted Returns: Formatted string containing list of documents in trash
list_document_comments	Retrieves comments on a specific document with pagination support. IMPORTANT: By default, this returns up to 25 comments at a time. If there are more than 25 comments on the document, you'll need to make multiple calls with different offset values to get all comments. The response will indicate if there are more comments available. Use this tool when you need to: - Review feedback and discussions on a document - See all comments from different users - Find specific comments or questions - Track collaboration and input on documents Args: document_id: The document ID to get comments from include_anchor_text: Whether to include the document text that comments refer to limit: Maximum number of comments to return (default: 25) offset: Number of comments to skip for pagination (default: 0) Returns: Formatted string containing comments with author, date, and optional anchor text
get_comment	Retrieves a specific comment by its ID. Use this tool when you need to: - View details of a specific comment - Reference or quote a particular comment - Check comment content and metadata - Find a comment mentioned elsewhere Args: comment_id: The comment ID to retrieve include_anchor_text: Whether to include the document text that the comment refers to Returns: Formatted string with the comment content and metadata
get_document_backlinks	Finds all documents that link to a specific document. Use this tool when you need to: - Discover references to a document across the workspace - Identify dependencies between documents - Find documents related to a specific document - Understand document relationships and connections Args: document_id: The document ID to find backlinks for Returns: Formatted string listing all documents that link to the specified document
create_collection	Creates a new collection for organizing documents. Use this tool when you need to: - Create a new section or category for documents - Set up a workspace for a new project or team - Organize content by department or topic - Establish a separate space for related documents Args: name: Name for the collection description: Optional description of the collection's purpose color: Optional hex color code for visual identification (e.g. #FF0000) Returns: Result message with the new collection ID
update_collection	Modifies an existing collection's properties. Use this tool when you need to: - Rename a collection - Update a collection's description - Change a collection's color coding - Refresh collection metadata Args: collection_id: The collection ID to update name: Optional new name for the collection description: Optional new description color: Optional new hex color code (e.g. #FF0000) Returns: Result message confirming update
delete_collection	Permanently removes a collection and all its documents. Use this tool when you need to: - Remove an entire section of content - Delete obsolete project collections - Remove collections that are no longer needed - Clean up workspace organization WARNING: This action cannot be undone and will delete all documents within the collection. Args: collection_id: The collection ID to delete Returns: Result message confirming deletion
export_collection	Exports all documents in a collection to a downloadable file. IMPORTANT: This tool starts an asynchronous export operation which may take time to complete. The function returns information about the operation, including its status. When the operation is complete, the file can be downloaded or accessed via Outline's UI. The export preserves the document hierarchy and includes all document content and structure in the specified format. Use this tool when you need to: - Create a backup of collection content - Share collection content outside of Outline - Convert collection content to other formats - Archive collection content for offline use Args: collection_id: The collection ID to export format: Export format ("outline-markdown", "json", or "html") Returns: Information about the export operation and how to access the file
export_all_collections	Exports the entire workspace content to a downloadable file. IMPORTANT: This tool starts an asynchronous export operation which may take time to complete, especially for large workspaces. The function returns information about the operation, including its status. When the operation is complete, the file can be downloaded or accessed via Outline's UI. The export includes all collections, documents, and their hierarchies in the specified format. Use this tool when you need to: - Create a complete backup of all workspace content - Migrate content to another system - Archive all workspace documents - Get a comprehensive export of knowledge base Args: format: Export format ("outline-markdown", "json", or "html") Returns: Information about the export operation and how to access the file
ask_ai_about_documents	Queries document content using natural language questions. Use this tool when you need to: - Find specific information across multiple documents - Get direct answers to questions about document content - Extract insights from your knowledge base - Answer questions like "What is our vacation policy?" or "How do we onboard new clients?" Args: question: The natural language question to ask collection_id: Optional collection to limit the search to document_id: Optional document to limit the search to Returns: AI-generated answer based on document content with sources

search_documents

    Searches for documents using keywords or phrases across your knowledge 
    base.
    
    IMPORTANT: The search performs full-text search across all document 
    content and titles. Results are ranked by relevance, with exact 
    matches 
    and title matches typically ranked higher. The search will return 
    snippets of content (context) where the search terms appear in the 
    document. You can limit the search to a specific collection by 
    providing 
    the collection_id.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Find documents containing specific terms or topics
    - Locate information across multiple documents
    - Search within a specific collection using collection_id
    - Discover content based on keywords
    
    Args:
        query: Search terms (e.g., "vacation policy" or "project plan")
        collection_id: Optional collection to limit the search to
        
    Returns:
        Formatted string containing search results with document titles 
        and 
        contexts
    

list_collections

    Retrieves and displays all available collections in the workspace.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - See what collections exist in the workspace
    - Get collection IDs for other operations
    - Explore the organization of the knowledge base
    - Find a specific collection by name
    
    Returns:
        Formatted string containing collection names, IDs, and descriptions
    

get_collection_structure

    Retrieves the hierarchical document structure of a collection.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Understand how documents are organized in a collection
    - Find document IDs within a specific collection
    - See the parent-child relationships between documents
    - Get an overview of a collection's content structure
    
    Args:
        collection_id: The collection ID to examine
        
    Returns:
        Formatted string showing the hierarchical structure of documents
    

get_document_id_from_title

    Locates a document ID by searching for its title.
    
    IMPORTANT: This tool first checks for exact title matches 
    (case-insensitive). If none are found, it returns the best partial 
    match instead. This is useful when you're not sure of the exact title 
    but need 
    to reference a document in other operations. Results are more accurate 
    when you provide more of the actual title in your query.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Find a document's ID when you only know its title
    - Get the document ID for use in other operations
    - Verify if a document with a specific title exists
    - Find the best matching document if exact title is unknown
    
    Args:
        query: Title to search for (can be exact or partial)
        collection_id: Optional collection to limit the search to
        
    Returns:
        Document ID if found, or best match information
    

read_document

    Retrieves and displays the full content of a document.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Access the complete content of a specific document
    - Review document information in detail
    - Quote or reference document content
    - Analyze document contents
    
    Args:
        document_id: The document ID to retrieve
        
    Returns:
        Formatted string containing the document title and content
    

export_document

    Exports a document as plain markdown text.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Get clean markdown content without formatting
    - Extract document content for external use
    - Process document content in another application
    - Share document content outside Outline
    
    Args:
        document_id: The document ID to export
        
    Returns:
        Document content in markdown format without additional formatting
    

create_document

    Creates a new document in a specified collection.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Add new content to a knowledge base
    - Create documentation, guides, or notes
    - Add a child document to an existing parent
    - Start a new document thread or topic
    
    Args:
        title: The document title
        collection_id: The collection ID to create the document in
        text: Optional markdown content for the document
        parent_document_id: Optional parent document ID for nesting
        publish: Whether to publish the document immediately (True) or 
            save as draft (False)
        
    Returns:
        Result message with the new document ID
    

update_document

    Modifies an existing document's title or content.
    
    IMPORTANT: This tool replaces the document content rather than just 

adding to it. To update a document with changed data, you need to first read the document, add your changes to the content, and then send the complete document with your changes.

    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Edit or update document content
    - Change a document's title
    - Append new content to an existing document
    - Fix errors or add information to documents
    
    Args:
        document_id: The document ID to update
        title: New title (if None, keeps existing title)
        text: New content (if None, keeps existing content)
        append: If True, adds text to the end of document instead of 
replacing
        
    Returns:
        Result message confirming update
    

add_comment

    Adds a comment to a document or replies to an existing comment.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Provide feedback on document content
    - Ask questions about specific information
    - Reply to another user's comment
    - Collaborate with others on document development
    
    Args:
        document_id: The document to comment on
        text: The comment text (supports markdown)
        parent_comment_id: Optional ID of a parent comment (for replies)
        
    Returns:
        Result message with the new comment ID
    

move_document

    Relocates a document to a different collection or parent document.
    
    IMPORTANT: When moving a document that has child documents (nested 
    documents), all child documents will move along with it, maintaining 
    their hierarchical structure. You must specify either collection_id or 
    parent_document_id (or both).
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Reorganize your document hierarchy
    - Move a document to a more relevant collection
    - Change a document's parent document
    - Restructure content organization
    
    Args:
        document_id: The document ID to move
        collection_id: Target collection ID (if moving between collections)
        parent_document_id: Optional parent document ID (for nesting)
        
    Returns:
        Result message confirming the move operation
    

archive_document

    Archives a document to remove it from active use while preserving it.
    
    IMPORTANT: Archived documents are removed from collections but remain
    searchable in the system. They won't appear in normal collection views
    but can still be found through search or the archive list.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Remove outdated or inactive documents from view
    - Clean up collections while preserving document history
    - Preserve documents that are no longer relevant
    - Temporarily hide documents without deleting them
    
    Args:
        document_id: The document ID to archive
        
    Returns:
        Result message confirming archival
    

unarchive_document

    Restores a previously archived document to active status.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Restore archived documents to active use
    - Access or reference previously archived content
    - Make archived content visible in collections again
    - Update and reuse archived documents
    
    Args:
        document_id: The document ID to unarchive
        
    Returns:
        Result message confirming restoration
    

delete_document

    Moves a document to trash or permanently deletes it.
    
    IMPORTANT: When permanent=False (the default), documents are moved to 
    trash and retained for 30 days before being permanently deleted. 
    During 
    this period, they can be restored using the restore_document tool. 
    Setting permanent=True bypasses the trash and immediately deletes the 
    document without any recovery option.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Remove unwanted or unnecessary documents
    - Delete obsolete content
    - Clean up workspace by removing documents
    - Permanently remove sensitive information (with permanent=True)
    
    Args:
        document_id: The document ID to delete
        permanent: If True, permanently deletes the document without 
            recovery option
        
    Returns:
        Result message confirming deletion
    

restore_document

    Recovers a document from the trash back to active status.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Retrieve accidentally deleted documents
    - Restore documents from trash to active use
    - Recover documents deleted within the last 30 days
    - Access content that was previously trashed
    
    Args:
        document_id: The document ID to restore
        
    Returns:
        Result message confirming restoration
    

list_archived_documents

    Displays all documents that have been archived.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Find specific archived documents
    - Review what documents have been archived
    - Identify documents for possible unarchiving
    - Check archive status of workspace content
    
    Returns:
        Formatted string containing list of archived documents
    

list_trash

    Displays all documents currently in the trash.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Find deleted documents that can be restored
    - Review what documents are pending permanent deletion
    - Identify documents to restore from trash
    - Verify if specific documents were deleted
    
    Returns:
        Formatted string containing list of documents in trash
    

list_document_comments

    Retrieves comments on a specific document with pagination support.
    
    IMPORTANT: By default, this returns up to 25 comments at a time. If 
    there are more than 25 comments on the document, you'll need to make 
    multiple calls with different offset values to get all comments. The 
    response will indicate if there 
    are more comments available.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Review feedback and discussions on a document
    - See all comments from different users
    - Find specific comments or questions
    - Track collaboration and input on documents
    
    Args:
        document_id: The document ID to get comments from
        include_anchor_text: Whether to include the document text that 
            comments refer to
        limit: Maximum number of comments to return (default: 25)
        offset: Number of comments to skip for pagination (default: 0)
        
    Returns:
        Formatted string containing comments with author, date, and 
        optional anchor text
    

get_comment

    Retrieves a specific comment by its ID.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - View details of a specific comment
    - Reference or quote a particular comment
    - Check comment content and metadata
    - Find a comment mentioned elsewhere
    
    Args:
        comment_id: The comment ID to retrieve
        include_anchor_text: Whether to include the document text that 
            the comment refers to
        
    Returns:
        Formatted string with the comment content and metadata
    

get_document_backlinks

    Finds all documents that link to a specific document.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Discover references to a document across the workspace
    - Identify dependencies between documents
    - Find documents related to a specific document
    - Understand document relationships and connections
    
    Args:
        document_id: The document ID to find backlinks for
        
    Returns:
        Formatted string listing all documents that link to the specified 

document

create_collection

    Creates a new collection for organizing documents.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Create a new section or category for documents
    - Set up a workspace for a new project or team
    - Organize content by department or topic
    - Establish a separate space for related documents
    
    Args:
        name: Name for the collection
        description: Optional description of the collection's purpose
        color: Optional hex color code for visual identification 
(e.g. #FF0000)
        
    Returns:
        Result message with the new collection ID
    

update_collection

    Modifies an existing collection's properties.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Rename a collection
    - Update a collection's description
    - Change a collection's color coding
    - Refresh collection metadata
    
    Args:
        collection_id: The collection ID to update
        name: Optional new name for the collection
        description: Optional new description
        color: Optional new hex color code (e.g. #FF0000)
        
    Returns:
        Result message confirming update
    

delete_collection

    Permanently removes a collection and all its documents.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Remove an entire section of content
    - Delete obsolete project collections
    - Remove collections that are no longer needed
    - Clean up workspace organization
    
    WARNING: This action cannot be undone and will delete all documents 

within the collection.

    Args:
        collection_id: The collection ID to delete
        
    Returns:
        Result message confirming deletion
    

export_collection

    Exports all documents in a collection to a downloadable file.
    
    IMPORTANT: This tool starts an asynchronous export operation which may 
    take time to complete. The function returns information about the 
    operation, including its status. When the operation is complete, the 
    file can be downloaded or accessed via Outline's UI. The export 
    preserves the document hierarchy and includes all document content and 
    structure in the 
    specified format.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Create a backup of collection content
    - Share collection content outside of Outline
    - Convert collection content to other formats
    - Archive collection content for offline use
    
    Args:
        collection_id: The collection ID to export
        format: Export format ("outline-markdown", "json", or "html")
        
    Returns:
        Information about the export operation and how to access the file
    

export_all_collections

    Exports the entire workspace content to a downloadable file.
    
    IMPORTANT: This tool starts an asynchronous export operation which may 
    take time to complete, especially for large workspaces. The function 
    returns information about the operation, including its status. When 
    the operation is complete, the file can be downloaded or accessed via 
    Outline's UI. The export includes all collections, documents, and 
    their 
    hierarchies in the specified format.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Create a complete backup of all workspace content
    - Migrate content to another system
    - Archive all workspace documents
    - Get a comprehensive export of knowledge base
    
    Args:
        format: Export format ("outline-markdown", "json", or "html")
        
    Returns:
        Information about the export operation and how to access the file
    

ask_ai_about_documents

    Queries document content using natural language questions.
    
    Use this tool when you need to:
    - Find specific information across multiple documents
    - Get direct answers to questions about document content
    - Extract insights from your knowledge base
    - Answer questions like "What is our vacation policy?" or "How do we 

onboard new clients?"

    Args:
        question: The natural language question to ask
        collection_id: Optional collection to limit the search to
        document_id: Optional document to limit the search to
        
    Returns:
        AI-generated answer based on document content with sources
    

MCP Outline Server

Server Configuration

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Resources

Tools