YNAB MCP Server

List Accounts

list_accounts

Read-onlyIdempotent

Lists YNAB account IDs, balances, types, closed/on-budget status, reconciliation details, debt metadata, and import errors, including closed accounts.

Instructions

List account IDs, dollar balances, type, closed/on-budget status, reconciliation time, debt metadata and direct_import_in_error. Includes closed accounts.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`budgetId`	No
`freshness`	No	fresh (default) reads YNAB. cached uses a session-isolated 30-second cache; complete means its reported coverage, which expands for older requested dates. Reports freshness; caller delta cursors bypass retention.
`projection`	No	Output fields: full (default) or lean IDs, values and essential status/link fields. Splits retain child IDs and amounts.
`includeFreshness`	No	Return an envelope with freshness/coverage metadata even on a fresh read.
`lastKnowledgeOfServer`	No	Delta cursor; returns { accounts, server_knowledge }.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`result`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed7 schema fields changedv6.1.0Oct 25, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

removedInput schema / properties / budgetId / description

Removed value: -"Budget ID (uses default if not provided)"

addedInput schema / properties / freshness

Added value: +{
+  "description": "fresh (default) reads YNAB. cached uses a session-isolated 30-second cache; complete means its reported coverage, which expands for older requested dates. Reports freshness; caller delta cursors bypass retention.",
+  "enum": [
+    "fresh",
+    "cached"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / includeFreshness

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Return an envelope with freshness/coverage metadata even on a fresh read.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / lastKnowledgeOfServer / description

Previous value: -"Delta request server knowledge. When provided, returns { accounts, server_knowledge }."New value: +"Delta cursor; returns { accounts, server_knowledge }."

addedInput schema / properties / projection

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Output fields: full (default) or lean IDs, values and essential status/link fields. Splits retain child IDs and amounts.",
+  "enum": [
+    "lean",
+    "full"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

Changed1 schema field changedv5.4.0Sep 15, 2026
- removedOutput schema / properties / result / description
```
Removed value: -"Structured result returned by List Accounts."
```
Addedv5.2.0Aug 29, 2026
Removedv5.1.1Jul 21, 2026
First observedv2.0.0May 28, 2026

TDQS

B3.2/5.0

Behavior3/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnly/idempotent/non-destructive, so safety is covered. The description adds one genuine behavioral fact — closed accounts are included — but stays silent on the more consequential traits: cache freshness semantics, delta-cursor behavior via lastKnowledgeOfServer, and envelope metadata via includeFreshness, all of which live only in the schema.

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?

A single front-loaded sentence with no filler; the field list is dense but every item is informative. Slightly jargon-heavy ("debt metadata", "direct_import_in_error") and the trailing closed-accounts note could have been folded into the same clause.

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 and annotations carry return shape and safety, so the description needn't cover those. It is still incomplete for a 5-parameter tool: zero mention of budgetId, freshness/cache behavior, projection tradeoffs, or the delta cursor, so an agent must read the schema to call it well.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 80%, so baseline is 3. The field enumeration (reconciliation time, debt metadata, direct_import_in_error) indirectly hints at what projection=full vs lean yields, but the description never names a parameter or explains budgetId, freshness, projection, or the delta cursor.

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?

Opens with a specific verb+resource ("List account IDs, dollar balances, ...") and enumerates the returned attributes, so an agent knows exactly what it gets. Sibling differentiation is only implicit — nothing distinguishes it from get_account beyond the verb 'List'.

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

Usage Guidelines2/5

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

No statement of when to use this versus get_account, no note that budgetId selects the budget, and no guidance on when to prefer freshness=fresh vs cached or lean vs full projection. The only usage-adjacent cue is "Includes closed accounts", which signals scope but not alternatives.

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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