ableton-mcp

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get_browser_items

Read-onlyIdempotent

Browse one level of Ableton Live browser content from a root and path, then page results with offset and limit. Optionally include private MCP tags and favorites for exact child identities.

Instructions

Browse one level of Live factory/plug-in/Pack/Max/project/user content. Page with offset and limit together. Optional private MCP tags/favorites use exact child identities; not native collections.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`path`	No	Path below the root.
`root`	Yes	Live browser root.
`limit`	No	Maximum children per page; supply with offset.
`offset`	No	Zero-based child offset; supply with limit.
`includeMetadata`	No	Join private MCP tags and favorites for children with exact URIs.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedv0.3.1Oct 23, 2026

removedOutput schema / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -true
```

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "properties": {
+      "children": {
+        "items": {
+          "properties": {
+            "loadable": {
+              "type": "boolean"
+            },
+            "name": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "path": {
+              "items": {
+                "type": "string"
+              },
+              "type": "array"
+            },
+            "uri": {
+              "anyOf": [
+                {
+                  "type": "string"
+                },
+                {
+                  "type": "null"
+                }
+              ]
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "name"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "item": {
+        "anyOf": [
+          {
+            "properties": {
+              "loadable": {
+                "type": "boolean"
+              },
+              "name": {
+                "type": "string"
+              },
+              "path": {
+                "items": {
+                  "type": "string"
+                },
+                "type": "array"
+              },
+              "uri": {
+                "anyOf": [
+                  {
+                    "type": "string"
+                  },
+                  {
+                    "type": "null"
+                  }
+                ]
+              }
+            },
+            "required": [
+              "name"
+            ],
+            "type": "object"
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "null"
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      "nextOffset": {
+        "anyOf": [
+          {
+            "type": "integer"
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "null"
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      "offset": {
+        "type": "integer"
+      },
+      "path": {
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "root": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "stateVersion": {
+        "minimum": 1,
+        "type": "integer"
+      },
+      "totalChildren": {
+        "type": "integer"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "stateVersion",
+      "root",
+      "path",
+      "children"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "properties": {
+      "error": {
+        "properties": {
+          "message": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "outcome": {
+            "enum": [
+              "unknown",
+              "not_executed"
+            ]
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "message",
+          "outcome"
+        ],
+        "type": "object"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  }
+]

Changed4 schema fields changedv0.3.0Oct 19, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / limit / description

Added value: +"Maximum children per page; supply with offset."

addedInput schema / properties / offset / description

Added value: +"Zero-based child offset; supply with limit."

addedInput schema / properties / root / enum

Added value: +[
+  "audio_effects",
+  "clips",
+  "current_project",
+  "drums",
+  "hotswap_target",
+  "instruments",
+  "legacy_libraries",
+  "max_for_live",
+  "midi_effects",
+  "packs",
+  "plugins",
+  "samples",
+  "sounds",
+  "user_folders",
+  "user_library"
+]

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": true,
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedv0.2.0Sep 30, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / includeMetadata

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Join private MCP tags and favorites for children with exact URIs.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

First observedv0.1.0Sep 23, 2026

TDQS

A3.7/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnly/idempotent/non-destructive/closed-world, so safety is covered. The description adds genuinely non-obvious behavior: traversal is exactly one level deep, offset and limit must be supplied as a pair, and the metadata join matches on exact child identities rather than native collection membership.

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?

Three short sentences, front-loaded with the browse scope, no filler. The final sentence is compressed to the point of near-unreadability ('use exact child identities; not native collections'), costing a point on structure.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists, so return shape needn't be explained, and paging plus metadata semantics are covered. What's missing for a tool sitting among a dense browser family is routing context: which root to pick and when to use this instead of the factory or search variants.

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; the description earns above that by adding the offset/limit coupling rule the schema only hints at ('supply with offset') and by clarifying what includeMetadata actually joins ('private MCP tags/favorites ... exact child identities; not native collections').

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource: 'Browse one level of Live factory/plug-in/Pack/Max/project/user content', with the key scope qualifier 'one level' that separates it from a recursive search. It does not name or contrast any of the many browser siblings (get_factory_browser_items, search_browser_items, list_browser_roots), so an agent must infer the distinction from the scope word alone.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

'Page with offset and limit together' is a real usage constraint that tells the agent how to page, and 'one level' implies shallow traversal. But there is no guidance on when to choose this over get_factory_browser_items or search_browser_items, and no prerequisites stated.

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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