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observe

Log structured events from agent activity to track actions, outcomes, and context in a user's vault. Provides auditability and session continuity by recording what an AI agent did, so future sessions or other agents can recall past work.

Instructions

Log a structured event from your own agent activity to the user's vault.

This tool is for YOU (the AI agent) to record what YOU did. Different from remember (which is for content the USER chose to save). observe is your auto-journal so that future sessions of you, or other AI agents the user works with, know what happened. The user wants visibility into what their AI does, partly so they can audit, partly so the next session has continuity.

Default to verbose observation. The user's salience worker and mode-switcher read observe events to decide attention state; richer observe data leads to better cognitive routing on subsequent recalls.

WHEN TO CALL:

  • After completing a substantive task: shipping code, sending an email, making a decision, finishing a meeting, running an analysis, editing a file.

  • When you start a significant work session ("started_task").

  • On any agent action whose existence the user might want to recall later ("what did Claude do yesterday in this project?").

  • On error or failure that's worth tracking for diagnosis.

WHEN NOT TO CALL:

  • For every micro-step, don't observe each individual file read.

  • For purely conversational acks.

  • For things the user explicitly typed (that's remember territory if durable, nothing if not).

ARGUMENTS:

  • event: A JSON object. The only REQUIRED key is "action" (a non-empty string verb that names what kind of thing happened). Recognized optional keys: "subject": what was acted upon (filename, person, ticket, ...) "result": outcome ("success", "failed: X", free text) "actor": on WHOSE BEHALF this was logged, when a shared credential relays for many people (an org agent acting for a specific member). A free-form identifier kept verbatim ("slack:U123", "alice@corp"). Distinct from the server-derived client (which tool wrote it): actor is attribution content you set, client is derived. Omit for a personal vault. Same content on behalf of different actors is stored as distinct events. Beyond those, ANY additional fields are preserved verbatim. Use whatever shape fits your agent's natural mental model. A JSON-string- serialized object is also accepted and parsed, and a bare string becomes the action — the event is never rejected on shape.

    Examples: {"action": "edit_file", "subject": "events.py", "result": "added inline-vs-spill logic"} {"action": "sent_email", "subject": "sajinth@example.com", "result": "follow-up on roadmap", "thread_id": "..."} {"action": "deployed", "subject": "afair-prod", "result": "v0.1.3", "duration_s": 47} {"action": "drafted_message", "subject": "Mara", "result": "birthday note for Saturday"}

RETURN: {"ok": true, "event_id": "...", "content_hash": "sha256:..."}

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
eventYesAn agent-self-logged event. ``action`` is required; other keys are recognized or preserved verbatim. Configured to allow arbitrary additional fields so different AI clients can use whatever shape fits their mental model. The extras are size- and nesting-bounded — see ``_bound_extras``.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
okYes
event_idYes
content_hashYes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

  1. First observedv0.1.0

TDQS

A4.7/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

With no annotations provided, the description carries full behavioral disclosure burden. It explains the logging is for audit and continuity, mentions the salience worker reads events, and describes event shape tolerance (JSON, string). However, it doesn't mention rate limits, storage quotas, or if logging is synchronous—minor gaps for a logging tool.

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?

Description is front-loaded with a clear purpose statement, followed by structured sections (WHEN TO/NOT, ARGUMENTS, RETURN). Every sentence adds nuance—no fluff. Examples and edge cases (bare string accepted) are included efficiently.

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?

Given the tool's low complexity (1 parameter, required, nested), presence of output schema, and thorough description, this is fully complete. It explains return format, event shaping, and usage context. No gaps remain for an agent to misuse the tool.

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 description coverage is 100%, so baseline is 3. The description adds value by explaining the 'actor' field's attribution purpose versus client derivation, listing recognized optional keys with examples, and detailing how arbitrary fields are handled. This exceeds bare schema requirements.

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?

The description states the tool's purpose with a specific verb ('Log a structured event') and resource ('own agent activity to the user's vault'), clearly distinguishing it from siblings like 'remember' and 'recall'. It explains this is for the AI agent's auto-journal, not user-saved content.

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 'WHEN TO CALL' and 'WHEN NOT TO CALL' sections are provided, with concrete examples like after completing substantive tasks, and exclusions for micro-steps or conversational acks. It also contrasts with 'remember' for user-chosen content.

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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