crash
Record structured reasoning steps to break down complex problems, track confidence, revise decisions, and explore alternative branches for systematic problem-solving.
Instructions
Record a structured reasoning step for complex problem-solving.
Use this tool to break down multi-step problems into trackable reasoning steps. Each step captures your current thinking, expected outcome, and planned next action.
WHEN TO USE:
Multi-step analysis, debugging, or planning tasks
Tasks requiring systematic exploration of options
Problems where you need to track confidence or revise earlier thinking
Exploring multiple solution paths via branching
WORKFLOW:
Start with step_number=1, estimate your total steps
Describe your thought process, expected outcome, and next action
Continue calling for each reasoning step, adjusting estimated_total as needed
Use confidence (0-1) when uncertain about conclusions
Use revises_step to correct earlier reasoning when you find errors
Use branch_from to explore alternative approaches
Set is_final_step=true when reasoning is complete
Returns JSON summary with step count, completion status, and next action.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| context | Yes | What is already known or has been completed. Include relevant findings from previous steps to avoid redundant work. | |
| outcome | Yes | The expected or actual result from this step. What did you learn or accomplish? | |
| purpose | Yes | Category of this reasoning step. Standard values: analysis (examining information), action (taking an action), reflection (reviewing progress), decision (making a choice), summary (consolidating findings), validation (checking results), exploration (investigating options), hypothesis (forming theories), correction (fixing errors), planning (outlining approach). Custom strings allowed in flexible mode. | |
| thought | Yes | Your current reasoning process. Express naturally - describe what you are thinking and why. | |
| branch_id | No | Unique identifier for this branch. Auto-generated if not provided. | |
| rationale | Yes | Why you chose this next action. Explain your reasoning for the approach. | |
| confidence | No | Your confidence in this step (0-1 scale). Use lower values when uncertain: 0.3 = low confidence, 0.5 = moderate, 0.8+ = high confidence. | |
| session_id | No | Session identifier for grouping related reasoning chains. Sessions expire after configured timeout. | |
| tools_used | No | List of tools you used during this step for tracking purposes. | |
| branch_from | No | Step number to branch from for exploring an alternative approach. Creates a new solution path. | |
| branch_name | No | Human-readable name for this branch (e.g., "Alternative A: Use caching") | |
| next_action | Yes | What you will do next. Can be a simple string or structured object with tool details. | |
| step_number | Yes | Sequential step number starting from 1. Increment for each new reasoning step. | |
| dependencies | No | Step numbers this step depends on. Validated against existing steps in history. | |
| revises_step | No | Step number you are revising or correcting. The original step will be marked as revised. | |
| is_final_step | No | Set to true to explicitly mark this as the final reasoning step. The reasoning chain will be marked complete. | |
| estimated_total | Yes | Current estimate of total steps needed. Adjust as you learn more about the problem. | |
| revision_reason | No | Why you are revising the earlier step. What was wrong or incomplete? | |
| external_context | No | External data or tool outputs relevant to this step. Store important results here. | |
| uncertainty_notes | No | Describe specific uncertainties or doubts. What assumptions are you making? What could be wrong? |