Selvedge
Selvedge is a local MCP server for recording and retrieving the reasons behind codebase decisions so agents can reuse prior context before editing.
Record change events with
log_change, including entity path/type, change type, diff, reasoning, agent/session, git commit, project, changeset, constraint, stale condition, expiry condition, and revisit date.Capture special decision types: renames via dual-event pattern, rejections of approaches not written, reverts of rolled-back changes, and supersedes that re-open reverted decisions append-only.
Look up an entity's change history with
diff, newest first, including prefix matching andsuperseded_bylinks.Blame an exact entity with
blameto get its latest change plus derived status: active, reverted, or reopened.Browse filtered history with
historyby time window, entity, project, or changeset.Retrieve all events for a feature or task with
changeset.Full-text search across entity paths, diffs, reasoning, and agents with
search.Check prior attempts with
prior_attemptsbefore editing to see tried → reverted → reopened trails, inferred outcomes, confidence, reasoning, and optional fuzzy semantic matches.Surface decisions due for revisit with
stale_decisions, based on expiry conditions, passed revisit dates, orstale_whenkeyword matches against later changes.Store everything locally in SQLite, with core storage and retrieval making no LLM calls and no hosted account required; connect through local stdio MCP.
Persistent decision memory for AI agents.
Save why you chose an approach, what you rejected, and what would change your mind. Retrieve that context in the next coding session, using a function, database column, API route or dependency as the lookup key.
Selvedge is for anyone using a compatible agent. Connect through local MCP
over stdio, or use the CLI from an agent with shell access. Decisions stay in
the same SQLite store in .selvedge/ when you switch tools.
No hosted account is required; core storage and retrieval make no LLM calls.
Get started · Documentation · Agent compatibility
uv tool install --upgrade selvedge
selvedge demoRequires uv and Python 3.10+. The demo uses a temporary database. Follow the quickstart to connect your agent to a real project.
Who Selvedge is for
Solo developers returning to a project after the original conversation is gone.
Teams that need to pass recorded decisions between sessions and coding tools.
Related MCP server: claude-engram
The problem
Code shows the chosen approach. It may leave out the constraint that shaped it or the alternative you ruled out. Selvedge gives those explanations a place in the project and tools to retrieve them before the next edit.
Only explicitly saved decisions can be recalled. A saved explanation is an account supplied by a person or agent; Selvedge does not verify that it is true or guarantee that an agent will consult it. Verify one decision across two sessions to test your setup.
What's new in v0.3.16
Bring recorded decisions into code review. selvedge ledger shows who
recorded each decision and which later record explicitly revised it. The optional
PR review Action adds reasons and rejected alternatives
for touched files from publication-approved base history. Attribution is
self-reported; the Action is opt-in and never executes PR-head code.
selvedge doctor --agent CLIENT checks project hook configuration for all six
setup targets, with concrete next steps. Configuration checks do not prove that
a client has activated its hooks.
The matched injection pilot completed 24 synthetic trials: still-valid rejected choices recurred in 4/6 eligible runs without memory and 0/6 with injected records. Both conditions passed the stale and unrelated controls. Two synthetic tasks do not establish general coding performance or superiority over maintained files; the earlier four-arm tie is still disclosed. No new runtime dependencies, migrations or MCP tools.
What's new in v0.3.15
Native lifecycle adapters for all six setup targets.
Setup now offers hooks for Codex, Cursor, VS Code Copilot Local, Gemini CLI and Windsurf/Cascade alongside Claude Code. Startup context and watched-edit checks are available where the client supports them; compaction notifications are advisory. Windsurf provides edit and command checks only. Existing configuration is preserved, with backups and visible conflicts for customized hooks.
See capabilities, activation and verification. The new adapters have protocol and subprocess coverage; client versions and harnesses still matter. No new dependencies, MCP tools, migrations or default telemetry.
The configuration pilot publishes all 48 measured trials and controls, including failures. It does not establish an advantage over a maintained file or the same information in a prompt.
Where Selvedge fits
Save a decision. You or your coding agent record a choice, its reason, and any rejected approaches through MCP or the CLI.
Keep it with the project. Selvedge stores the record in local SQLite, keyed to the function, column, route or other entity it concerns.
Recall it before the next edit. A later session queries the same store and checks whether the earlier constraint still applies.
Git keeps the code history; review tools check changes; observability shows runtime behavior. Selvedge adds the recorded reasons behind decisions. How it works · Agent Trace interchange
How Selvedge compares
Choose the simplest memory mechanism that fits your workflow:
Need | Useful starting point | What Selvedge adds |
Standing project rules | Maintained agent instruction files | Queryable decisions attached to particular entities |
Reviewed architecture choices | Architecture decision records (ADRs) | Structured outcomes, rejected approaches and revisit signals |
Who changed a line and when | Git history and attribution tools | The stated reason and earlier approaches for an entity |
Carry recorded decisions into another session or client | Shared project documentation | MCP and CLI retrieval from the same local database |
These approaches can be used together. Read the source-linked comparison and instructions versus ADRs versus decision memory for specific selection criteria and limitations.
Why entity history matters. users.email, env/STRIPE_SECRET_KEY,
api/v1/checkout and deps/stripe remain useful query targets when their code
moves. Explicit rejection and superseding records let a later session inspect
what was tried and whether the original constraint still applies.
Why capture time matters. Recording a reason while the context is available can preserve information a diff does not contain. It does not make the reason infallible. Retrieval uses stored records; the coding agent remains responsible for checking applicability and testing its change.
Why changesets matter. Tag events with a shared changeset such as
add-stripe-billing to retrieve a task's decisions across tables, environment
variables, routes and functions.
Agent Trace interchange. selvedge export --format agent-trace and
selvedge import --format agent-trace exchange Agent Trace v0.1.0 records.
Reasoning and entity history travel in the dev.selvedge metadata.
The mapping and limits document the format;
Selvedge vendors the schema and has no runtime dependency on the upstream project.
Quickstart
Connect your agent
With uv installed:
uv tool install --upgrade selvedge
selvedge demo
cd your-project
selvedge setupSetup detects supported clients. To select a preset explicitly, use
--agent with claude-code, codex, copilot, cursor, gemini or windsurf;
repeat the flag for multiple clients. These presets are conveniences, not a
compatibility limit. For another agent with local stdio MCP support, follow
manual setup. Agents with shell access can use the CLI.
Prefer pip? Use python -m pip install --upgrade selvedge in a virtual environment.
The selvedge-server executable must be on your editor's PATH; launch the editor
from that environment or use the executable's absolute path in its MCP config.
Setup asks before changing files, backs up existing content, installs MCP and agent instructions, initializes the project, and offers a Git post-commit hook. Configuration files and lifecycle hooks vary by client. See the compatibility guide for preset paths, activation requirements and limitations.
Restart your agent in the project and approve Selvedge's tools if prompted. Follow your client's project-trust requirements. Ask the agent:
Use Selvedge to record one real approach we considered and rejected in this project. Include the entity, why, and what would change our mind. Do not invent a decision. Show the saved entity path and record ID.
Start a new session and look up the same entity to verify that the decision carries forward. Follow the first-decision verification guide and cross-agent handoff guide for observable checks. MCP access does not automatically capture every decision: the installed instructions guide the agent to use it. Native lifecycle adapters cover supported client events; startup delivery, watched-edit checks and compaction notifications vary by harness. See the agent hook guide before enabling them.
For CI bootstrap or devcontainer.json postCreateCommand:
selvedge setup --non-interactive --yesVerify the wiring — open a second terminal in the same project:
selvedge watchMake any change in your AI tool — add a column, rename a function, add an
env var. selvedge watch should print the new event within a second of
the agent calling log_change. If nothing arrives, run selvedge doctor
for a single-command health check that tells you which step is silently
broken.
Query your history:
selvedge status # recent activity + missing-commit count
selvedge diff users # all changes to the users table
selvedge diff users.email # changes to a specific column
selvedge blame payments.amount # what changed last and why
selvedge history --since 30d # last 30 days of changes
selvedge history --since 15m # last 15 minutes ('m' = minutes)
selvedge changeset add-stripe-billing # all events for a feature/task
selvedge search "stripe" # full-text search
selvedge stats # observed tool calls and explanation quality
selvedge import migrations/ # backfill from migration files
selvedge export --format csv # dump history to CSVIf you don't want to run the wizard, the four manual steps it automates:
1. Initialize in your project
cd your-project
selvedge init2. Register the MCP server
Configure your client to launch selvedge-server as a local stdio MCP server.
Use its absolute path if it is not on the client's PATH, and set SELVEDGE_DB
to the project database if the client starts outside your project. Configuration
syntax varies; see connection examples.
3. Tell your agent to use it
selvedge prompt --install path/to/agent-instructions.mdReplace path/to/agent-instructions.md with the actual file your client reads — the block
itself is identical across clients:
Client | Prompt file |
Claude Code |
|
Codex CLI (and other |
|
Cursor |
|
Gemini CLI |
|
This installs the canonical agent-instructions block, sentinel-bracketed
(<!-- selvedge:start --> / <!-- selvedge:end -->) so future
--install calls update the bracketed region without disturbing
anything else in the file. To print the block for copying:
selvedge promptPrefer to copy-paste? The same block is one click away on the website: selvedge.sh/prompt-block — with a copy button and notes on what your agent does with it.
4. Install the post-commit hook
selvedge install-hookThat's the same four steps the wizard runs.
Works with compatible agents
Selvedge has no required agent brand or model provider. Its MCP interface uses
local stdio: a compatible client must be able to launch selvedge-server and
call its tools. Remote-HTTP-only clients need a separate stdio bridge; Selvedge
does not provide a hosted endpoint. An agent with shell access can instead use
selvedge log and the read commands.
The integrations below are examples. Choose the one matching your client, or configure another stdio MCP client using its own settings format:
Optional Claude Code plugin
Two commands, inside Claude Code. No prior pip install — the plugin
bootstraps the server itself via uvx (or pipx):
/plugin marketplace add masondelan/selvedge
/plugin install selvedge@selvedgeThat's the whole agent-facing surface in one step:
the MCP server — 8 tools (
log_change,prior_attempts,blame,diff,history,changeset,search,stale_decisions);a skill that tells the agent when to call them — before editing a tracked entity, after any substantive change;
the PreToolUse enforcement hook — schema/migration edits are blocked until
prior_attemptshas been checked this session, with the prior reasoning in the block message;slash commands —
/selvedge:status,/selvedge:blame <entity>,/selvedge:history,/selvedge:prior-attempts <entity>.
The store (.selvedge/selvedge.db) creates itself on the first logged change.
Two optional extras stay CLI-side: the post-commit hook that stamps each event
with its commit hash (selvedge install-hook), and — if you want the
selvedge command on your own shell PATH — pip install selvedge, which the
launcher then prefers over uvx for an exact pinned version.
Plugin or
selvedge setupfor Claude Code? Pick one. Both wire the MCP server; running both registers it twice. The plugin is the lighter path and the one that updates itself. If you're on the plugin and only want the post-commit commit-hash stamping, runselvedge install-hookon its own.
Manual MCP connection
claude mcp add selvedge -- selvedge-serverOr commit a project-level .mcp.json so your whole team gets it:
{
"mcpServers": {
"selvedge": { "command": "selvedge-server" }
}
}Docs: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp
.cursor/mcp.json (project) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global):
{
"mcpServers": {
"selvedge": { "command": "selvedge-server" }
}
}Cursor's newer schema also accepts an explicit "type": "stdio"; the
command-only form works too (Cursor infers stdio from command).
Docs: https://cursor.com/docs/mcp
~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"selvedge": { "command": "selvedge-server" }
}
}Windsurf hot-reloads the file — no restart needed. The in-app Plugins → View raw config button opens the exact file Cascade reads. Docs: https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/cascade/mcp
~/.codex/config.toml:
[mcp_servers.selvedge]
command = "selvedge-server"Or run codex mcp add selvedge -- selvedge-server.
Docs: https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/config-file/config-reference
~/.gemini/settings.json (or .gemini/settings.json per project):
{
"mcpServers": {
"selvedge": { "command": "selvedge-server" }
}
}Or run gemini mcp add -s user selvedge selvedge-server.
Docs: https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/blob/main/docs/tools/mcp-server.md
Most clients share the same JSON shape — point yours at:
{
"mcpServers": {
"selvedge": { "command": "selvedge-server" }
}
}If selvedge-server isn't found, use its absolute path (which selvedge-server).
How it works
Selvedge runs as a local MCP server or CLI. Compatible agents call its tools as they work, logging structured change events to a local SQLite database.
Each event records:
What changed (entity path, change type, diff)
When (timestamp)
Who (agent, session ID)
Why (reasoning — captured from the agent's context in the moment)
Where (git commit, project)
The diff is git's job. The why is Selvedge's.
Selvedge tracks its own history
This repo dogfoods Selvedge: its .selvedge/selvedge.db is committed, so a
fresh clone ships with Selvedge's own why-history. Clone it and ask why any
part of Selvedge changed:
git clone https://github.com/masondelan/selvedge
cd selvedge
selvedge status # recent changes to Selvedge itself
selvedge search "telemetry" # why the opt-in heartbeat shipped
selvedge blame selvedge/semantic.py # why semantic search was addedEvery event was logged by the agents that built Selvedge — the same
log_change calls this README asks you to make in your own project.
Entity path conventions
users.email DB column (table.column)
users DB table
src/auth.py::login Function in a file (path::symbol)
src/auth.py File
api/v1/users API route
deps/stripe Dependency
env/STRIPE_SECRET_KEY Environment variablePrefix queries work everywhere: users returns users, users.email,
users.created_at, and any other entity under the users. namespace.
MCP tools
When connected as an MCP server, Selvedge exposes:
Tool | Description |
| Record a change event with entity, diff, and reasoning. |
| History for an entity or entity prefix, each row annotated with |
| Most recent change + context for an exact entity, plus the derived decision |
| Filtered history across all entities |
| All events grouped under a named feature/task slug |
| Full-text search across all events |
| Prior change attempts on an entity + inferred outcome (tried → reverted → re-opened) — call it before editing. Optional |
| Decisions due for a revisit: past their |
CLI reference
selvedge init [--path PATH] Initialize in project
selvedge status Recent activity summary
selvedge diff ENTITY [--limit N] Change history for entity
selvedge blame ENTITY Most recent change + context
selvedge history [--since SINCE] Browse all history
[--entity ENTITY]
[--project PROJECT]
[--changeset CS]
[--summarize]
[--limit N]
selvedge changeset [CHANGESET_ID] Show events in a changeset
[--list] or list all changesets
[--project NAME]
[--since SINCE]
selvedge search QUERY [--limit N] Full-text search
selvedge prior-attempts ENTITY Prior attempts + inferred outcome,
[--description T] with the tried → reverted →
[--all] re-opened trail + status line
[--window 7d] (--all widens recall)
[--fuzzy TEXT] add semantic matches (needs the
semantic extra; substring fallback)
selvedge supersede ENTITY Re-open a reverted decision —
--reasoning TEXT append-only, links the prior
[--constraint TEXT] reverted event (or --supersedes ID)
[--stale-when TEXT]
[--supersedes ID]
selvedge index [--model NAME] Build/update the optional semantic
[--json] embeddings index (selvedge[semantic])
selvedge stale [--entity ENTITY] Decisions due for a revisit: past
[--project NAME] revisit_after + still in use, or
[--agent NAME] stale_when matched by a later change
[--json] ("review suggested")
selvedge stats [--since SINCE] Tool call coverage report (per-tool, per-agent)
selvedge doctor [--agent CLIENT] [--json] Health check; optional project agent-hook diagnostics
selvedge install-hook [--path PATH] Install git post-commit hook
[--window MIN] (default 60 minutes)
selvedge backfill-commit --hash HASH Backfill git_commit on recent events
[--window MIN] (default 60 minutes)
selvedge import PATH Import migrations (SQL / Alembic) or
[--format auto|sql| an Agent Trace file (agent-trace)
alembic|agent-trace]
[--from-git] or walk git history for reverts:
[--since REF|DATE] revert-message commits + deletions
[--project NAME] become change_type="revert" events
[--dry-run] (idempotent on commit + entity)
selvedge export [--format json|csv| Export history (agent-trace =
markdown|agent-trace] Agent Trace v0.1.0 records;
markdown = reviewable digest)
[--since SINCE]
[--entity ENTITY]
[--ndjson] agent-trace: one record per line
[--collapse-by-session] agent-trace: merge a session into one
[--output FILE]
selvedge log ENTITY CHANGE_TYPE Manually log a change
[--diff TEXT] CHANGE_TYPE: add, remove, modify,
[--reasoning TEXT] rename, retype, create, delete,
[--agent NAME] index_add, index_remove, migrate,
[--commit HASH] revert, supersede
[--project NAME]
[--changeset CS]
[--revisit-after WHEN] ISO date or offset (e.g. 90d)
[--rename-from OLD] OLD path when CHANGE_TYPE is 'rename'
[--constraint TEXT] the principle behind the decision
[--stale-when TEXT] what would invalidate it
[--supersedes ID] with CHANGE_TYPE 'supersede'
selvedge migrate-paths Re-canonicalize stored entity paths
[--apply] (dry-run by default; --apply writes)
[--json]All read commands support --json for machine-readable output.
Relative time in --since:
15m→ last 15 minutes (m= minutes)24h→ last 24 hours7d→ last 7 days5mo→ last 5 months (moormon= months)1y→ last year
Unparseable inputs (e.g. --since yesterday) exit with a clear error
rather than silently returning empty results. ISO 8601 timestamps
are also accepted and normalized to UTC.
Configuration
Method | Format | Example |
Env var |
| Per-session override |
Project init |
| Creates |
Global fallback |
| Used if no project DB found |
Hook watch globs |
|
|
Project settings |
| See the key list below — retention, size bounds, redaction patterns |
Global settings |
| Same keys; the project file wins where both set one |
Hook bypass |
| Disables the PreToolUse enforcement hook for the shell |
Semantic extra |
| Enables |
.selvedge/config.toml
Every key is optional; a missing file means the defaults below. Precedence is
CLI flag → env var → project .selvedge/config.toml → global
~/.selvedge/config.toml → default. SELVEDGE_DB is the one exception: it
always wins for database resolution, because the config file is found by
resolving that path. selvedge doctor prints the effective value and the step
that produced it for every setting.
retention_days_events = 0 # 0 = never delete events (the default)
retention_days_tool_calls = 90 # local telemetry retention
backup_keep_last = 7
diff_bytes = 65536 # truncate oversized diffs at log time
reasoning_bytes = 32768 # truncate oversized reasoning
db_size_warn_mb = 500 # doctor warns above this
stale_days = 0 # 0 = off
digest_max_bytes = 4096 # cap on the session-start digest
redaction_patterns = [] # extra secret shapes to warn about
[hook]
watch_globs = ["**/migrations/**", "db/**/*.sql"]Every key also has an env override (SELVEDGE_DIFF_BYTES,
SELVEDGE_RETENTION_DAYS_EVENTS, …).
Reviewing captured intent in a pull request
.selvedge/selvedge.db is a SQLite file, so the reasoning inside it doesn't
show up in a diff. Export a Markdown digest next to it and commit both:
selvedge export --format markdown -o .selvedge/DECISIONS.md
git add .selvedge/The digest is grouped by entity with reverted decisions first, and it is deterministic — regenerating with no new events produces a zero-line diff, so it stays reviewable instead of becoming noise everyone learns to skip. Heading anchors derive from the entity path, so links into it keep working as it grows. Regenerate it in the same commit as the code, or from a pre-commit hook.
Coverage checking
Wondering how often your agent actually calls log_change? Two ways to check:
# Quick summary in the terminal
selvedge stats
# Cross-reference against git commits
python scripts/coverage_check.py --since 30dThe coverage script compares your git log against Selvedge events and shows
which commits have associated change events. Low coverage usually means the
system prompt needs strengthening — see docs/fallbacks.md for guidance.
In CI (GitHub Action)
The same check ships as the Selvedge Coverage Check composite Action, so you can track agent coverage on every push — and optionally fail the build when it drops:
# .github/workflows/selvedge-coverage.yml
name: Selvedge coverage
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
coverage:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
with:
fetch-depth: 0 # full history so commits can be matched
- uses: masondelan/selvedge@v0.3.16 # pin to a release tag (or @main for latest)
with:
since: 30d
fail-under: "0.5" # optional: fail below 50% coverage; omit to report onlyIt writes a coverage summary to the job summary and exposes coverage-ratio,
covered, and total as step outputs. The action cross-references your git
history against the Selvedge event log, so the runner needs the project's
.selvedge/selvedge.db (commit it, or restore it before this step) and full
git history (fetch-depth: 0). Inputs: since, window, limit,
fail-under, selvedge-version, python-version, working-directory,
db-path.
Contributing
Read the feedback and review process for reporting problems, evaluating feature requests and following up on discussions.
git clone https://github.com/masondelan/selvedge
cd selvedge
pip install -e ".[dev]"
pytestSee CLAUDE.md for architecture details and the phase roadmap.
License
MIT — see LICENSE.
Decision context for reviewers
The shared ledger and PR review Action shows recorded reasons, rejected paths, actor/session attribution and integrity for touched entities. The matched injection pilot reports every trial and limits its conclusion to the tested synthetic tasks.
Available Tools
8 toolsblameBlame an entityARead-onlyIdempotent
Most recent change to an entity — what changed, when, who, why.
Like git blame but for semantic entities (DB columns, functions, env
vars, dependencies) and AI agents. Also carries the derived decision
state: status (active / reverted / reopened) and
superseded_by (id of a later supersede overriding this change, or
""). If no history exists for the entity, returns {"error": "..."}
with protocol-level isError: false.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| entity_path | Yes | Exact entity path (no prefix matching). Examples: 'users.email', 'src/auth.py::login', 'env/STRIPE_SECRET_KEY'. |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| id | Yes | |
| diff | Yes | |
| agent | Yes | |
| error | Yes | |
| status | Yes | |
| project | Yes | |
| metadata | Yes | |
| reasoning | Yes | |
| timestamp | Yes | |
| constraint | Yes | |
| git_commit | Yes | |
| session_id | Yes | |
| stale_when | Yes | |
| supersedes | Yes | |
| change_type | Yes | |
| entity_path | Yes | |
| entity_type | Yes | |
| changeset_id | Yes | |
| expires_when | Yes | |
| revisit_after | Yes | |
| superseded_by | Yes |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already indicate safe read-only idempotent operation. The description adds value by detailing return fields (status, superseded_by) and error handling behavior (returns error object with isError: false). No contradiction.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
Two short paragraphs, no fluff. The first sentence immediately states the core purpose. Every sentence adds necessary context.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Given a single parameter, existing output schema, and comprehensive annotations, the description covers the tool's functionality, return data, and error case fully and clearly.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Only one parameter with 100% schema coverage. The description adds the constraint 'exact entity path (no prefix matching)' and provides examples, enhancing the schema's description.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description clearly states the tool retrieves the most recent change to an entity, likening it to git blame for semantic entities. It distinguishes from siblings like history or diff by focusing on the latest change and including decision state.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
The description explains what the tool does and notes error behavior when no history exists. It lacks explicit guidance on when not to use or alternatives, but the purpose is clear enough for correct selection.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
changesetGet a changesetARead-onlyIdempotent
All events that share a changeset_id, oldest first.
Use to reconstruct the full scope of a feature or task across multiple
entities. If the changeset has no events, returns
[{"error": "..."}] so the caller can distinguish "unknown changeset"
from "empty history."
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| changeset_id | Yes | The changeset identifier (the same slug or UUID passed to `log_change`'s changeset_id parameter). Examples: 'add-stripe-billing', 'fix-auth-redirect'. |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| result | Yes |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive. Description adds ordering (oldest first) and specific error format, going beyond annotations without contradiction.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
Two sentences, each with clear purpose. No wasted words. First sentence states what the tool does, second gives usage context and error handling.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Given the simple single-parameter tool with full schema coverage and an output schema, the description sufficiently covers ordering, error condition, and intended use. No gaps identified.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema description coverage is 100% and fully describes the changeset_id parameter. Description adds no new parameter semantics beyond what the schema provides, so baseline 3 applies.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
Clearly states 'All events that share a changeset_id, oldest first.' It specifies the resource (events) and ordering, distinguishing it from siblings like 'history' (likely broader) and 'search' (different target).
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
Explicitly says 'Use to reconstruct the full scope of a feature or task across multiple entities,' providing clear context. Also describes error behavior for empty changesets. Lacks explicit when-not or alternative comparisons.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
diffDiff an entity's historyARead-onlyIdempotent
Get change history for a codebase entity, newest first.
Supports prefix matching — e.g. 'users' returns all events for the users
table and any users.* column. Each event carries a derived
superseded_by id ("" when nothing overrode it), so the
tried → reverted → re-opened trail reads straight off the history.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| limit | No | Maximum number of events to return. | |
| entity_path | Yes | Entity path, or a DOTTED prefix of one: 'users' also covers 'users.email'. Not a raw string prefix — 'src/' matches nothing, and 'src/auth.py' does not cover 'src/auth.py::login'. |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| result | Yes |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare readOnly, idempotent, and non-destructive behavior. The description adds valuable behavioral context: newest-first ordering, dotted-prefix matching scope, and the derived `superseded_by` id with empty-string semantics for the latest event. No contradiction with annotations.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is concise and front-loaded: the first sentence gives the core purpose, and the second provides high-value examples of prefix matching and derived data. Every sentence earns its place with no redundancy.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Given the output schema and safety annotations, the description sufficiently covers the essential behavior: ordering, prefix semantics, and the derived superseded_by trail. It does not discuss sibling-tool selection, but the core functionality is thoroughly described.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
The input schema covers both parameters fully (100% coverage), so the baseline is 3. The description restates prefix matching with an example but does not add new parameter-level semantics beyond what the schema already documents.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description clearly states the tool returns change history for a codebase entity, newest first, and highlights unique behaviors like prefix matching and the derived `superseded_by` field. However, it does not explicitly differentiate from the similarly-named sibling tool `history`, so it stops short of full sibling distinction.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
The intended use is implied: call this when you need a chronological change history for an entity, especially with prefix matching. But the description does not compare this tool to alternatives like `history` or `blame`, nor does it mention exclusions or when not to use it.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
historyBrowse historyARead-onlyIdempotent
Filtered change history across all entities, newest first.
Combine since, entity_path, project, and changeset_id to scope
the result. On unparseable since input the response is
[{"error": "..."}] so the caller sees the problem.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| limit | No | Maximum number of results. | |
| since | No | Time window — ISO 8601 datetime OR relative shorthand: '15m' (last 15 minutes), '24h' (last 24 hours), '7d' (last 7 days), '5mo' (last 5 months), '1y' (last year). 'm' means minutes; 'mo' or 'mon' means months. Unparseable values produce an error rather than silently returning empty results. Empty = all time. | |
| project | No | Filter to a specific project/repository. | |
| entity_path | No | Filter to an entity, or a DOTTED prefix of one ('users' also covers 'users.email'). Not a raw string prefix. | |
| changeset_id | No | Filter to a specific changeset (feature/task group). |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| result | Yes |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already indicate readOnly=true, idempotent=true, and destructive=false, so safety is covered. The description goes beyond by disclosing the error behavior for unparseable 'since' input, returning a JSON error array instead of silently returning empty results. This is valuable behavioral context not in the annotations.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is two sentences: the first states purpose and ordering, the second gives usage guidance and error handling. It is front-loaded, with no wasted words, and every sentence contributes meaning.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Given the output schema exists and the description covers purpose, filtering, ordering, and error behavior, the tool is fully specified for an agent. The description is complete for this 5-parameter optional-input tool without needing to explain return values.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema coverage is 100% with detailed descriptions for each parameter, so the baseline is 3. The description adds minor value by explicitly stating these parameters can be combined, but it does not explain syntax or semantics beyond what the schema already provides. No compensation needed.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description clearly states the tool's function: 'Filtered change history across all entities, newest first.' It uses a specific verb ('browse' implicitly via 'history') and resource ('all entities'), and the 'newest first' ordering adds precision. This distinguishes it from siblings like log_change, diff, and search.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
The description gives explicit guidance on how to combine filter parameters ('since', 'entity_path', 'project', 'changeset_id') to scope results. It does not explicitly mention when not to use this tool or name alternatives, but the usage context is clear enough for an agent to know when to invoke it.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
log_changeLog a code changeA
Record a change to a codebase entity.
Call this immediately after making any meaningful change. The event is
written to the local SQLite store and returned with its assigned id and
timestamp. If the reasoning fails the quality validator (empty, too
short, or a generic placeholder), or the entity_path doesn't match the
usual shape for its entity_type, the result includes a warnings
array — the event is still stored.
Renames: pass the new path in entity_path, set change_type="rename",
and pass the old path in rename_from. Selvedge then writes two events —
a rename on the old path and a create on the new path with
metadata.renamed_from set — so the entity's history follows it. Example:
log_change(
entity_path="src/auth/session.py::login", # new path
change_type="rename",
rename_from="src/auth.py::login", # old path
entity_type="function",
reasoning="Split auth.py into an auth/ package; login moved.",
)Rejections: when you consider an approach and decide against it WITHOUT
writing the change, record the verdict with change_type="reject" — the
abandoned path is a first-class event, and the next agent's
prior_attempts query finds it as a high-confidence ("exact") row
instead of re-deriving the dead end. Name what was rejected AND what was
chosen instead, and record the condition that would invalidate the
verdict. Example:
log_change(
entity_path="users.card_pan",
change_type="reject",
entity_type="column",
reasoning="Rejected storing raw card PANs on the user row — "
"went with provider tokens instead; PANs in our own "
"DB put us in PCI scope.",
stale_when="payment provider changed",
expires_when="entity:deps/stripe:changes",
)Use change_type="revert" for the sibling case — the change WAS written
and then rolled back (clearer than a plain remove).
Superseding a reverted decision: when a reverted change becomes correct
again (the constraint that killed it no longer holds), do NOT delete or
edit history — log with change_type="supersede" and the reason. The
new event links the prior revert (auto-resolved when supersedes is
empty) and every read surface then reports the trail
tried → reverted → re-opened. Never re-apply a reverted change without
superseding it first.
On validation failure (invalid change_type, missing entity_path,
rename_from set without change_type='rename', supersedes set without
change_type='supersede', a supersede with nothing to re-open, or an
expires_when outside the closed grammar) the result is
{"status": "error", "error": "..."} with no event written.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| diff | No | The actual change — SQL migration text, code diff, or a human-readable description of what changed. Optional but strongly recommended for non-trivial changes. | |
| agent | No | Name/ID of the AI agent making the change (e.g. 'claude-code', 'cursor', 'copilot', 'human'). | |
| project | No | Repository or project name. Useful when one DB tracks multiple projects. | |
| reasoning | No | Why the change was made. Include the user's original request, the problem being solved, or any context that won't be obvious from the diff alone. Good example: 'User asked to add 2FA — needs phone number to send SMS verification codes.' Avoid generic placeholders like 'user request' or 'done' — these are flagged by the quality validator and returned in `warnings`. | |
| constraint | No | Optional: the testable principle behind the decision, kept queryable (e.g. 'card data in our own DB = PCI scope'). | |
| git_commit | No | The git commit hash this change will land in. Can be backfilled later via `selvedge backfill-commit` or the post-commit hook. | |
| session_id | No | The agent session or conversation ID, if available. | |
| stale_when | No | Optional: what would invalidate this decision (e.g. 'payment provider changed'). stale_decisions matches it against later events and flags 'review suggested' — surfacing only. | |
| supersedes | No | Id of the prior event this change overrides; only valid with change_type='supersede'. Empty auto-links the entity's most recent removal event (remove/delete/index_remove/revert/reject) — so after a standalone rejection it re-opens the rejection. Append-only — the old verdict is never edited, just derived as superseded. | |
| change_type | Yes | What kind of change. One of: add, remove, modify, rename, retype, create, delete, index_add, index_remove, migrate, revert (tried and rolled back), reject (considered and decided against, without writing the change), supersede (re-open a reverted decision). Invalid values are rejected — pick the closest match. | |
| entity_path | Yes | Dot/slash-notation path to the entity. Required and non-empty. Examples: 'users.email' (DB column), 'users' (DB table), 'src/auth.py::login' (function in file), 'src/auth.py' (file), 'api/v1/users' (API route), 'deps/stripe' (dependency), 'env/STRIPE_SECRET_KEY' (env variable). | |
| entity_type | No | Category of entity. One of: column, table, file, function, class, endpoint, dependency, env_var, index, schema, config, other. Unknown values are coerced to 'other'. | other |
| rename_from | No | The entity's previous path, when this change is a rename. Set it together with change_type='rename' and put the NEW path in entity_path. Selvedge records the dual-event rename pattern: a 'rename' event on the old path and a 'create' event on the new path whose metadata.renamed_from points back to the old one, so blame/diff/prior_attempts on the new path still see the history. Leave empty for any non-rename change. | |
| changeset_id | No | Optional grouping ID for related changes that belong to the same feature or task. Use a short slug like 'add-stripe-billing'. All events sharing a changeset_id can be queried together via the `changeset` tool. | |
| expires_when | No | Optional machine-checkable expiry condition for this decision. Closed grammar, validated at write time: 'library:NAME>=VERSION' (revisit when the named dependency reaches a version, e.g. 'library:django>=5.0'), 'entity:PATH:changes' (revisit when that entity next changes, e.g. 'entity:users.email:changes'), 'date:ISO' (revisit on a date, e.g. 'date:2027-01-01'), or 'manual:LABEL' (opaque label for human review; never auto-fires). `stale_decisions` evaluates these from local state — no network, no LLM — and flags 'expired' with the pattern that fired. Values outside the grammar are rejected. | |
| revisit_after | No | Optional revisit date for an architectural decision (table, schema, dependency, config). An ISO date OR a relative offset from this event's timestamp (e.g. '90d', '6mo'). `stale_decisions` surfaces it once it passes, if the entity is still in active use. Leave empty otherwise. |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| id | Yes | |
| error | Yes | |
| status | Yes | |
| warnings | Yes | |
| timestamp | Yes | |
| supersedes | Yes |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations carry near-zero information (all false except openWorldHint), so the description carries the full burden. It comprehensively discloses: the warnings array on quality-validator failure, the exact error shape on validation failure, the dual-event rename behavior, supersede auto-linking, and append-only semantics. No contradiction with annotations (readOnlyHint=false correctly implies a write).
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
Long, but every section earns its place given the complexity — headers ('Renames:', 'Rejections:', 'Superseding a reverted decision:') with code examples make it scannable. Slightly verbose in repeating rename semantics already in the schema's rename_from field, but organized enough that the density is justified.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Comprehensive for a 16-parameter write tool with 5 complex change_type workflows. The description covers all change types, the validation grammar, failure/error shapes, examples for each major flow, and the output schema exists. Nothing an agent needs to call it correctly is missing.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema coverage is 100%, giving a baseline of 3, but the description adds genuine orchestration semantics beyond the schema: rename's dual-event pattern (rename on old path + create on new path with metadata.renamed_from), the reject naming requirement ('name what was rejected AND what was chosen instead'), and that empty supersedes auto-links the most recent removal event. This is behavioral glue the schemas don't spell out.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
States a specific verb and resource — 'Record a change to a codebase entity' — and immediately distinguishes itself: call it after a meaningful change, while siblings diff/blame/history/prior_attempts are read surfaces. An agent can clearly separate it from the sibling tools.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
Provides explicit when-to-use for each change_type: 'Call this immediately after making any meaningful change,' with dedicated workflows for rename, reject, revert, and supersede. Names why reject is preferable to re-deriving dead ends ('the next agent's prior_attempts query finds it as a high-confidence row') and why supersede beats editing history. Nothing is left to inference.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
prior_attemptsPrior attempts on an entityARead-onlyIdempotent
Prior change attempts on an entity, each with an inferred outcome.
Call this BEFORE editing an entity. If the same change was tried before
and reverted, you get the prior reasoning and change_type plus an
inferred outcome — so you can change your plan instead of repeating a
rejected approach.
Each result is a change event plus the trail fields: outcome
("reverted" — a later removal on the path; "reopened" — closed but a
later supersede re-opened it; "rejected" — a standalone reject event
that closed no earlier attempt, surfaced as its own row whose reasoning
IS the record; "active"), confidence ("exact" — the attempt was closed
by an explicit revert/reject, or the row is a standalone rejection;
"proximity_high" / "proximity_low" — the add->remove window heuristic
for implicit removals), outcome_reasoning (WHY it was rejected),
superseded_by + supersede_reasoning (the re-open, when present), and
current_status — the entity's standing now. Treat "reverted" and
"rejected" as "don't repeat this without a supersede"; "reopened" means
the old verdict no longer stands. Together they read: tried → reverted →
re-opened. Templated and deterministic — no LLM call; pull-only.
Conservative by design — min_confidence defaults to "proximity_high",
so an empty list (nothing clearly tried-and-rejected) is the normal,
preferred answer over a speculative false positive; "exact" rows always
clear that default floor. Pass min_confidence="proximity_low" to widen
recall. Rows carry match_type ("exact" / "substring" / "fuzzy") and
similarity.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| fuzzy | No | Optional semantic query: also return attempts on entities whose prior reasoning is similar to this text — catches renames (payment_token vs card_token). Rows are labeled match_type='fuzzy' with a similarity score; without the selvedge[semantic] extra it falls back to substring matching and says so in a leading note row. | |
| limit | No | Maximum number of results. | |
| description | No | Free-text description of what you're about to do, when you don't have an exact entity_path. Matched as a substring against prior reasoning, diffs, and entity paths. Provide this OR `entity_path` (entity_path takes precedence if both are given). | |
| entity_path | No | The entity you're about to change. Exact path with prefix matching — 'users' also covers 'users.email'. Examples: 'src/auth.py::login', 'users.email', 'env/STRIPE_SECRET_KEY'. Provide this OR `description`. | |
| min_confidence | No | Confidence floor. 'proximity_high' (default) returns the high-signal rows: attempts closed by an explicit revert/reject (confidence 'exact' — always clears this floor, including standalone rejections) plus attempts reverted within the window. Pass 'proximity_low' to also see the noisy tail (still-active changes and far-apart reverts). | proximity_high |
| window_minutes | No | Proximity window in minutes for the add->remove revert heuristic — the tiebreaker for IMPLICIT removal types only. An attempt removed within this many minutes is 'proximity_high'; beyond it, 'proximity_low'. Attempts closed by an explicit revert/reject are 'exact' regardless of the window. Default 10080 (7 days). |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| result | Yes |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already indicate read-only, idempotent, non-destructive behavior, and the description reinforces and expands this with 'Templated and deterministic — no LLM call; pull-only.' It discloses nuanced behaviors: conservative defaults, the meaning of outcome/confidence values, and that an empty list is the preferred normal answer. No contradiction with annotations.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is long but information-dense, with a sensible structure: core purpose, usage timing, outcome semantics, and confidence policy. Every sentence carries meaningful guidance, though some sections could be tightened. The front-loading is effective; the most important instruction appears early.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Given the tool's complexity, the description covers purpose, usage timing, result semantics, confidence filtering, recall widening, and edge cases like standalone rejections and reopen events. The output schema exists and the description also explains return fields thoroughly. Nothing critical is missing for an agent to select and invoke this tool correctly.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema coverage is 100%, so the schema itself documents all parameters. The description adds meaningful extra context, such as the default min_confidence behavior, how 'exact' rows clear the confidence floor, and the role of window_minutes as a tiebreaker for implicit removals. This goes beyond simple schema repetition, though it could have been slightly more parameter-by-parameter.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description clearly identifies the tool's purpose: retrieving prior change attempts on an entity with inferred outcomes. It states a specific action context ('Call this BEFORE editing an entity') and distinguishes the data it returns. However, it does not explicitly differentiate itself from siblings like 'history' or 'changeset', so an agent must infer which tool covers which kind of history.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
Explicitly instructs when to use the tool: before editing an entity, to avoid repeating a rejected approach. It also explains how to widen recall via min_confidence. However, it does not say when NOT to use it or name any alternative tool, so the usage guidance is strong on 'when' but missing exclusions and alternatives.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
searchSearch eventsARead-onlyIdempotent
Full-text search across entity paths, diffs, reasoning, and agents.
Useful for questions like 'what changes were made for the billing feature?', 'which columns were added by cursor?', or 'show everything related to authentication'.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| limit | No | Maximum number of results. | |
| query | Yes | Search string (case-insensitive substring). Searches across entity_path, diff, reasoning, and agent fields. SQL LIKE wildcards (`_` and `%`) are escaped, so 'stripe_customer_id' matches the literal underscore rather than any single char. |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| result | Yes |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare readOnly, idempotent, and non-destructive behavior. The description adds search semantics: full-text across four fields and substring matching with escaped wildcards (from schema). This contextualizes behavior beyond annotations, though pagination/ordering are not mentioned (but output schema covers returns).
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
Two sentences: one declarative purpose statement and one illustrative set of examples. No redundant content and the main intent is front-loaded.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
For a search tool with two parameters, full schema coverage, output schema, and clear annotations, the description adequately conveys what it searches. The example questions help the agent map natural language to tool invocation; however, it does not mention result ordering or the limit parameter behavior (though schema covers limit).
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema description coverage is 100%, including the case-insensitive substring behavior and wildcard escaping. The tool description adds only usage examples, not new parameter semantics, so it meets baseline but does not exceed schema detail.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description uses the specific verb 'search' and names the exact resources (entity paths, diffs, reasoning, agents). Example queries like 'what changes were made for the billing feature?' clarify the scope and distinguish it from sibling tools like diff or blame.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
Provides explicit example questions that signal appropriate use cases, such as cross-cutting search across multiple entities. It does not directly name alternatives or state when not to use this tool, but the examples imply broad search rather than targeted diffs or history queries.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
stale_decisionsStale decisions due for revisitARead-onlyIdempotent
Decisions due for a revisit — expired, past their date, or with a triggered stale condition.
Three deterministic rules. Expiry-based (flag="expired"): events whose
expires_when condition fired, evaluated from local state only —
date: against now, entity:PATH:changes against the event log,
library:NAME>=VERSION against installed dist metadata; the pattern
kind that fired is in expired_pattern. A library: condition whose
dependency isn't locally observable surfaces as flag="manual_review"
instead of a guess; manual:LABEL never auto-fires. Date-based
(flag="revisit_due"): events whose revisit_after has passed AND the
entity is still live (queried via blame/diff/prior_attempts after
the decision, or its changeset saw later activity) — pure age alone
never surfaces. Condition-based (flag="review_suggested"): events
whose stale_when text shares keywords with a LATER change event — the
named invalidation evidence may have happened. Surfacing only: nothing
is un-retired automatically; follow up with a supersede if the
condition really was triggered. A later supersede that re-opens the
candidate (explicit supersedes id, or the same id-less auto-link
prior_attempts uses) drops it from this list; a same-path sibling
the supersede did not target still surfaces.
Each result is the change event plus flag, revisit_due,
days_overdue, active_use_signals, matched_terms,
matched_event_id, expires_status, expired_pattern,
expires_detail, and a one-line stale_reason. Date-due rows first,
most-overdue leading; filter by entity_path, project, or agent.
Templated and deterministic; no LLM call, no network.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| agent | No | Optional filter to the agent that logged the decision. | |
| limit | No | Maximum number of results. | |
| project | No | Optional filter to a specific project/repository. | |
| entity_path | No | Optional filter to a single entity or path prefix — 'users' also covers 'users.email'. Empty = every entity. |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| result | Yes |
TDQS
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Even with annotations marking readOnly, deterministic, and non-destructive, the description adds substantial behavioral detail: no LLM call, no network, no automatic un-retiring, fallback to manual_review when dependency state is unobservable, and effects of later supersede events. This is far beyond what annotations alone convey.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is longer than average, but the tool has complex deterministic rules and edge cases that warrant the detail. It is front-loaded with the core purpose and organized by flag type, followed by output fields, ordering, and guarantees. The output field enumeration is slightly redundant with the existing output schema, preventing a 5.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
For a tool with this complexity, the description is complete: it explains all three surfacing mechanisms, non-obvious edge cases like manual_review, output shape, ordering, filtering, and determinism guarantees. Combined with the rich annotations and output schema, an agent has everything needed to select and invoke the tool correctly.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema description coverage is 100%, so the baseline of 3 applies. The description mentions filtering by entity_path, project, or agent, which reinforces the schema but does not add much new semantic depth. It does not describe parameter formats beyond what the schema already provides.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
The description opens with a specific verb and resource: 'Decisions due for a revisit,' then enumerates the three deterministic rules and their resulting flags. It clearly distinguishes this tool from siblings by emphasizing it is surfacing-only, deterministic, and local-state-based.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
The description gives clear context for when results surface: expiry-based, date-based, and condition-based rules, with explicit caveats like 'pure age alone never surfaces' and 'manual:LABEL never auto-fires.' It does not explicitly name sibling alternatives for exclusion, but the behavioral specificity makes intended usage unambiguous.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
Tool Schema Changelog
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
1 tool update
v0.3.14- Changed
prior_attempts1 field changed- changed
Input schema / properties / window_minutes / maximumPrevious value: -1000New value: +10080
2 tool updates
- Changed
log_change3 fields changed- changed
Input schema / properties / change_type / descriptionPrevious value: -"What kind of change. One of: add, remove, modify, rename, retype, create, delete, index_add, index_remove, migrate, revert (tried and rolled back), supersede (re-open a reverted decision). Invalid values are rejected — pick the closest match."New value: +"What kind of change. One of: add, remove, modify, rename, retype, create, delete, index_add, index_remove, migrate, revert (tried and rolled back), reject (considered and decided against, without writing the change), supersede (re-open a reverted decision). Invalid values are rejected — pick the closest match." - added
Input schema / properties / expires_whenAdded value: +{ + "default": "", + "description": "Optional machine-checkable expiry condition for this decision. Closed grammar, validated at write time: 'library:NAME>=VERSION' (revisit when the named dependency reaches a version, e.g. 'library:django>=5.0'), 'entity:PATH:changes' (revisit when that entity next changes, e.g. 'entity:users.email:changes'), 'date:ISO' (revisit on a date, e.g. 'date:2027-01-01'), or 'manual:LABEL' (opaque label for human review; never auto-fires). `stale_decisions` evaluates these from local state — no network, no LLM — and flags 'expired' with the pattern that fired. Values outside the grammar are rejected.", + "title": "Expires When", + "type": "string" +} - changed
Input schema / properties / supersedes / descriptionPrevious value: -"Id of the prior event this change overrides; only valid with change_type='supersede'. Empty auto-links the entity's most recent remove/delete. Append-only — the old verdict is never edited, just derived as superseded."New value: +"Id of the prior event this change overrides; only valid with change_type='supersede'. Empty auto-links the entity's most recent removal event (remove/delete/index_remove/revert/reject) — so after a standalone rejection it re-opens the rejection. Append-only — the old verdict is never edited, just derived as superseded."
- Changed
prior_attempts2 fields changed- changed
Input schema / properties / min_confidence / descriptionPrevious value: -"Confidence floor. 'proximity_high' (default) returns only attempts that were clearly tried and then reverted within the window — the high-signal 'rejected before' cases. Pass 'proximity_low' to also see the noisy tail (still-active changes and far-apart reverts)."New value: +"Confidence floor. 'proximity_high' (default) returns the high-signal rows: attempts closed by an explicit revert/reject (confidence 'exact' — always clears this floor, including standalone rejections) plus attempts reverted within the window. Pass 'proximity_low' to also see the noisy tail (still-active changes and far-apart reverts)." - changed
Input schema / properties / window_minutes / descriptionPrevious value: -"Proximity window in minutes for the add->remove revert heuristic. An attempt removed within this many minutes is 'proximity_high'; beyond it, 'proximity_low'. Default 10080 (7 days)."New value: +"Proximity window in minutes for the add->remove revert heuristic — the tiebreaker for IMPLICIT removal types only. An attempt removed within this many minutes is 'proximity_high'; beyond it, 'proximity_low'. Attempts closed by an explicit revert/reject are 'exact' regardless of the window. Default 10080 (7 days)."
5 tool updates
v0.3.11- Changed
diff2 fields changed- changed
Input schema / properties / entity_path / descriptionPrevious value: -"Entity path or path prefix. Prefix matching is supported: 'users' returns history for the users table AND all its columns ('users.email', 'users.created_at', etc.). Use a more specific path to narrow the result."New value: +"Entity path, or a DOTTED prefix of one: 'users' also covers 'users.email'. Not a raw string prefix — 'src/' matches nothing, and 'src/auth.py' does not cover 'src/auth.py::login'." - added
Input schema / properties / limit / maximumAdded value: +1000
- Changed
history2 fields changed- changed
Input schema / properties / entity_path / descriptionPrevious value: -"Filter to a specific entity or path prefix."New value: +"Filter to an entity, or a DOTTED prefix of one ('users' also covers 'users.email'). Not a raw string prefix." - added
Input schema / properties / limit / maximumAdded value: +1000
- Changed
prior_attempts2 fields changed- added
Input schema / properties / limit / maximumAdded value: +1000 - added
Input schema / properties / window_minutes / maximumAdded value: +1000
- Changed
search1 field changed- added
Input schema / properties / limit / maximumAdded value: +1000
- Changed
stale_decisions1 field changed- added
Input schema / properties / limit / maximumAdded value: +1000
3 tool updates
v0.3.10- Changed
blame6 fields changed- added
Output schema / properties / constraintAdded value: +{ + "title": "Constraint", + "type": "string" +} - added
Output schema / properties / stale_whenAdded value: +{ + "title": "Stale When", + "type": "string" +} - added
Output schema / properties / statusAdded value: +{ + "title": "Status", + "type": "string" +} - added
Output schema / properties / superseded_byAdded value: +{ + "title": "Superseded By", + "type": "string" +} - added
Output schema / properties / supersedesAdded value: +{ + "title": "Supersedes", + "type": "string" +} - changed
Output schema / requiredPrevious value: -[ - "id", - "timestamp", - "entity_type", - "entity_path", - "change_type", - "diff", - "reasoning", - "agent", - "session_id", - "git_commit", - "project", - "changeset_id", - "metadata", - "revisit_after", - "expires_when", - "error" -]New value: +[ + "id", + "timestamp", + "entity_type", + "entity_path", + "change_type", + "diff", + "reasoning", + "agent", + "session_id", + "git_commit", + "project", + "changeset_id", + "metadata", + "revisit_after", + "expires_when", + "supersedes", + "constraint", + "stale_when", + "superseded_by", + "status", + "error" +]
- Changed
log_change6 fields changed- changed
Input schema / properties / change_type / descriptionPrevious value: -"What kind of change. One of: add, remove, modify, rename, retype, create, delete, index_add, index_remove, migrate. Invalid values are rejected — pick the closest match."New value: +"What kind of change. One of: add, remove, modify, rename, retype, create, delete, index_add, index_remove, migrate, revert (tried and rolled back), supersede (re-open a reverted decision). Invalid values are rejected — pick the closest match." - added
Input schema / properties / constraintAdded value: +{ + "default": "", + "description": "Optional: the testable principle behind the decision, kept queryable (e.g. 'card data in our own DB = PCI scope').", + "title": "Constraint", + "type": "string" +} - added
Input schema / properties / stale_whenAdded value: +{ + "default": "", + "description": "Optional: what would invalidate this decision (e.g. 'payment provider changed'). stale_decisions matches it against later events and flags 'review suggested' — surfacing only.", + "title": "Stale When", + "type": "string" +} - added
Input schema / properties / supersedesAdded value: +{ + "default": "", + "description": "Id of the prior event this change overrides; only valid with change_type='supersede'. Empty auto-links the entity's most recent remove/delete. Append-only — the old verdict is never edited, just derived as superseded.", + "title": "Supersedes", + "type": "string" +} - added
Output schema / properties / supersedesAdded value: +{ + "title": "Supersedes", + "type": "string" +} - changed
Output schema / requiredPrevious value: -[ - "id", - "timestamp", - "status", - "error", - "warnings" -]New value: +[ + "id", + "timestamp", + "status", + "error", + "warnings", + "supersedes" +]
- Changed
prior_attempts1 field changed- added
Input schema / properties / fuzzyAdded value: +{ + "default": "", + "description": "Optional semantic query: also return attempts on entities whose prior reasoning is similar to this text — catches renames (payment_token vs card_token). Rows are labeled match_type='fuzzy' with a similarity score; without the selvedge[semantic] extra it falls back to substring matching and says so in a leading note row.", + "title": "Fuzzy", + "type": "string" +}
4 tool updates
v0.3.8- Changed
blame3 fields changed- added
Output schema / properties / expires_whenAdded value: +{ + "title": "Expires When", + "type": "string" +} - added
Output schema / properties / revisit_afterAdded value: +{ + "title": "Revisit After", + "type": "string" +} - changed
Output schema / requiredPrevious value: -[ - "id", - "timestamp", - "entity_type", - "entity_path", - "change_type", - "diff", - "reasoning", - "agent", - "session_id", - "git_commit", - "project", - "changeset_id", - "metadata", - "error" -]New value: +[ + "id", + "timestamp", + "entity_type", + "entity_path", + "change_type", + "diff", + "reasoning", + "agent", + "session_id", + "git_commit", + "project", + "changeset_id", + "metadata", + "revisit_after", + "expires_when", + "error" +]
- Changed
log_change2 fields changed- added
Input schema / properties / rename_fromAdded value: +{ + "default": "", + "description": "The entity's previous path, when this change is a rename. Set it together with change_type='rename' and put the NEW path in entity_path. Selvedge records the dual-event rename pattern: a 'rename' event on the old path and a 'create' event on the new path whose metadata.renamed_from points back to the old one, so blame/diff/prior_attempts on the new path still see the history. Leave empty for any non-rename change.", + "title": "Rename From", + "type": "string" +} - added
Input schema / properties / revisit_afterAdded value: +{ + "default": "", + "description": "Optional revisit date for an architectural decision (table, schema, dependency, config). An ISO date OR a relative offset from this event's timestamp (e.g. '90d', '6mo'). `stale_decisions` surfaces it once it passes, if the entity is still in active use. Leave empty otherwise.", + "title": "Revisit After", + "type": "string" +}
- Added
prior_attempts - Added
stale_decisions
6 tool updates
v0.3.2- Changed
blame2 fields changed- added
Input schema / properties / entity_path / descriptionAdded value: +"Exact entity path (no prefix matching). Examples: 'users.email', 'src/auth.py::login', 'env/STRIPE_SECRET_KEY'." - changed
Output schema / (root)Previous value: -nullNew value: +{ + "properties": { + "agent": { + "title": "Agent", + "type": "string" + }, + "change_type": { + "title": "Change Type", + "type": "string" + }, + "changeset_id": { + "title": "Changeset Id", + "type": "string" + }, + "diff": { + "title": "Diff", + "type": "string" + }, + "entity_path": { + "title": "Entity Path", + "type": "string" + }, + "entity_type": { + "title": "Entity Type", + "type": "string" + }, + "error": { + "title": "Error", + "type": "string" + }, + "git_commit": { + "title": "Git Commit", + "type": "string" + }, + "id": { + "title": "Id", + "type": "string" + }, + "metadata": { + "additionalProperties": true, + "title": "Metadata", + "type": "object" + }, + "project": { + "title": "Project", + "type": "string" + }, + "reasoning": { + "title": "Reasoning", + "type": "string" + }, + "session_id": { + "title": "Session Id", + "type": "string" + }, + "timestamp": { + "title": "Timestamp", + "type": "string" + } + }, + "required": [ + "id", + "timestamp", + "entity_type", + "entity_path", + "change_type", + "diff", + "reasoning", + "agent", + "session_id", + "git_commit", + "project", + "changeset_id", + "metadata", + "error" + ], + "title": "BlameResult", + "type": "object" +}
- Changed
changeset1 field changed- added
Input schema / properties / changeset_id / descriptionAdded value: +"The changeset identifier (the same slug or UUID passed to `log_change`'s changeset_id parameter). Examples: 'add-stripe-billing', 'fix-auth-redirect'."
- Changed
diff3 fields changed- added
Input schema / properties / entity_path / descriptionAdded value: +"Entity path or path prefix. Prefix matching is supported: 'users' returns history for the users table AND all its columns ('users.email', 'users.created_at', etc.). Use a more specific path to narrow the result." - added
Input schema / properties / limit / descriptionAdded value: +"Maximum number of events to return." - added
Input schema / properties / limit / minimumAdded value: +1
- Changed
history6 fields changed- added
Input schema / properties / changeset_id / descriptionAdded value: +"Filter to a specific changeset (feature/task group)." - added
Input schema / properties / entity_path / descriptionAdded value: +"Filter to a specific entity or path prefix." - added
Input schema / properties / limit / descriptionAdded value: +"Maximum number of results." - added
Input schema / properties / limit / minimumAdded value: +1 - added
Input schema / properties / project / descriptionAdded value: +"Filter to a specific project/repository." - added
Input schema / properties / since / descriptionAdded value: +"Time window — ISO 8601 datetime OR relative shorthand: '15m' (last 15 minutes), '24h' (last 24 hours), '7d' (last 7 days), '5mo' (last 5 months), '1y' (last year). 'm' means minutes; 'mo' or 'mon' means months. Unparseable values produce an error rather than silently returning empty results. Empty = all time."
- Changed
log_change11 fields changed- added
Input schema / properties / agent / descriptionAdded value: +"Name/ID of the AI agent making the change (e.g. 'claude-code', 'cursor', 'copilot', 'human')." - added
Input schema / properties / change_type / descriptionAdded value: +"What kind of change. One of: add, remove, modify, rename, retype, create, delete, index_add, index_remove, migrate. Invalid values are rejected — pick the closest match." - added
Input schema / properties / changeset_id / descriptionAdded value: +"Optional grouping ID for related changes that belong to the same feature or task. Use a short slug like 'add-stripe-billing'. All events sharing a changeset_id can be queried together via the `changeset` tool." - added
Input schema / properties / diff / descriptionAdded value: +"The actual change — SQL migration text, code diff, or a human-readable description of what changed. Optional but strongly recommended for non-trivial changes." - added
Input schema / properties / entity_path / descriptionAdded value: +"Dot/slash-notation path to the entity. Required and non-empty. Examples: 'users.email' (DB column), 'users' (DB table), 'src/auth.py::login' (function in file), 'src/auth.py' (file), 'api/v1/users' (API route), 'deps/stripe' (dependency), 'env/STRIPE_SECRET_KEY' (env variable)." - added
Input schema / properties / entity_type / descriptionAdded value: +"Category of entity. One of: column, table, file, function, class, endpoint, dependency, env_var, index, schema, config, other. Unknown values are coerced to 'other'." - added
Input schema / properties / git_commit / descriptionAdded value: +"The git commit hash this change will land in. Can be backfilled later via `selvedge backfill-commit` or the post-commit hook." - added
Input schema / properties / project / descriptionAdded value: +"Repository or project name. Useful when one DB tracks multiple projects." - added
Input schema / properties / reasoning / descriptionAdded value: +"Why the change was made. Include the user's original request, the problem being solved, or any context that won't be obvious from the diff alone. Good example: 'User asked to add 2FA — needs phone number to send SMS verification codes.' Avoid generic placeholders like 'user request' or 'done' — these are flagged by the quality validator and returned in `warnings`." - added
Input schema / properties / session_id / descriptionAdded value: +"The agent session or conversation ID, if available." - changed
Output schema / (root)Previous value: -nullNew value: +{ + "properties": { + "error": { + "title": "Error", + "type": "string" + }, + "id": { + "title": "Id", + "type": "string" + }, + "status": { + "title": "Status", + "type": "string" + }, + "timestamp": { + "title": "Timestamp", + "type": "string" + }, + "warnings": { + "items": { + "type": "string" + }, + "title": "Warnings", + "type": "array" + } + }, + "required": [ + "id", + "timestamp", + "status", + "error", + "warnings" + ], + "title": "LogChangeResult", + "type": "object" +}
- Changed
search3 fields changed- added
Input schema / properties / limit / descriptionAdded value: +"Maximum number of results." - added
Input schema / properties / limit / minimumAdded value: +1 - added
Input schema / properties / query / descriptionAdded value: +"Search string (case-insensitive substring). Searches across entity_path, diff, reasoning, and agent fields. SQL LIKE wildcards (`_` and `%`) are escaped, so 'stripe_customer_id' matches the literal underscore rather than any single char."
6 tool updates
v0.3.1- First observed
blame - First observed
changeset - First observed
diff - First observed
history - First observed
log_change - First observed
search
TDQS
Scored across 8 tools
Most tools have clearly distinct scopes: log_change is the only writer; diff is entity-scoped history, history is cross-entity, changeset groups by id, and search is full-text. The main ambiguity is diff vs. blame — blame returns only the newest event and adds a status field, but it is effectively the first row of diff, so an agent could reasonably pick either for 'what changed most recently.'
The naming mixes three conventions: git-style single-word verbs (diff, blame, search), bare nouns (history, changeset), and descriptive snake_case phrases (log_change, prior_attempts, stale_decisions). The styles are individually readable and the git-inspired cluster ties the read tools together, but there is no single predictable verb_noun pattern across the set.
Eight tools is well within the ideal 3-15 range and each tool earns its place in the change-logging domain: one writer, four retrieval views (per-entity, latest, global, changeset-grouped), one search, one pre-edit decision helper, and one maintenance/review tool. The count feels tightly scoped with no obvious redundancy or bloat.
The surface fully covers the domain's lifecycle: log_change handles all event types (including rename, reject, revert, and supersede), and the read side provides entity-scoped history, latest state, cross-entity filters, changeset reconstruction, full-text search, pre-edit attempt lookup, and stale-decision review. The append-only design intentionally omits update/delete, which the descriptions explicitly justify, so there are no real dead ends for the stated purpose.
Maintenance
Related MCP Connectors
One searchable history across every AI coding tool, with secret scanning and a shared task board.
Deterministic context layer for your codebase: change impact, blast radius, answers with receipts.
Shared memory for coding agents. Stop re-explaining your codebase every session.
Codebase graphs, caller impact analysis, and recorded project context for AI coding agents.
Related MCP Servers
- AlicenseNot gradedqualityDmaintenanceThe shared AI context engine for git — save, search, and share the reasoning behind code changes. Captures the why behind every commit and slide on PRs for coding agents.37 npmMIT
- AlicenseBqualityBmaintenancePersistent memory and session intelligence for AI coding assistants. Auto-tracks mistakes, decisions, and context via hooks. Mines your full session history for patterns, predictions, and cross-session search.2116MIT
- AlicenseAqualityAmaintenanceLocal-first memory layer for AI coding agents — captures issues, attempts, fixes, and decisions, and warns at git commit before you repeat a mistake.17850MIT
- AlicenseNot gradedqualityCmaintenanceProvides a memory layer for AI coding agents with Git-powered version control, enabling automatic tracking of prompts, context, and code diffs.194MIT