markdown-vault-mcp

Recent Notes

get_recent

Read-onlyIdempotent

List recently modified notes newest first to review recent activity without a search query.

Instructions

List the most recently modified notes, newest first.

Use it to pick up recent activity without a search query.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`limit`	No	Maximum notes to return (default 20).
`folder`	No	Only notes in this folder and its sub-folders, such as `"Journal"`; `""` for top-level notes only; omit for the whole vault.
`wait_for_pending_writes`	No	Wait for recent index writes. On timeout, answer from the current index with _meta.index_stale=true. Default false.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`result`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedv6.1.0Nov 2, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / folder / description

Previous value: -"Optional folder filter. When provided, only returns\nnotes from this folder (e.g. \"Journal\").\nUse folder=\"\" for root-level (top-level) documents only."New value: +"Only notes in this folder and its sub-folders, such as `\"Journal\"`;\n`\"\"` for top-level notes only; omit for the whole vault."

changedInput schema / properties / limit / description

Previous value: -"Maximum number of notes to return (default 20)."New value: +"Maximum notes to return (default 20)."

Changed1 schema field changedv5.0.0Sep 15, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / wait_for_pending_writes / description

Previous value: -"When True, wait until your recent\ndocument mutations have been applied to the\nindex before answering, so the results reflect those changes.\nUse it right after modifying notes when this read must see\nthem (e.g. right after a document mutation whose\neffect this read should reflect). Default\nFalse answers immediately from the current index — almost\nalways already up to date; inspect the response's\n``_meta.index_stale`` field to tell whether a write was still\nin flight. Bounded by a server timeout (default 60s); on\ntimeout it answers from the current index rather than waiting\nlonger."New value: +"Wait for recent index writes. On timeout, answer from the current index with _meta.index_stale=true. Default false."

Changed2 schema fields changedv4.0.0Aug 26, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / folder / description

Previous value: -"Optional folder filter. When provided, only returns\nnotes from this folder (e.g. \"Journal\")."New value: +"Optional folder filter. When provided, only returns\nnotes from this folder (e.g. \"Journal\").\nUse folder=\"\" for root-level (top-level) documents only."

changedInput schema / properties / wait_for_pending_writes / description

Previous value: -"When True, wait until your recent\nwrite/edit/delete/rename operations have been applied to the\nindex before answering, so the results reflect those changes.\nUse it right after modifying notes when this read must see\nthem (e.g. right after a write/edit/delete/rename whose\neffect this read should reflect). Default\nFalse answers immediately from the current index — almost\nalways already up to date; inspect the response's\n``_meta.index_stale`` field to tell whether a write was still\nin flight. Bounded by a server timeout (default 60s); on\ntimeout it answers from the current index rather than waiting\nlonger."New value: +"When True, wait until your recent\ndocument mutations have been applied to the\nindex before answering, so the results reflect those changes.\nUse it right after modifying notes when this read must see\nthem (e.g. right after a document mutation whose\neffect this read should reflect). Default\nFalse answers immediately from the current index — almost\nalways already up to date; inspect the response's\n``_meta.index_stale`` field to tell whether a write was still\nin flight. Bounded by a server timeout (default 60s); on\ntimeout it answers from the current index rather than waiting\nlonger."

First observedv3.1.0Jul 8, 2026

TDQS

A3.6/5.0

Behavior3/5

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

Annotations already declare it read-only, idempotent, and non-destructive. The description adds that results are sorted by modification time, newest first. It says nothing about index freshness at the description level, though the schema covers the stale-index behavior.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

There are two sentences, front-loaded with the purpose and then the usage context. Neither sentence is wasted.

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

Completeness4/5

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

For a simple read-only listing tool with an output schema, full annotations, and a fully described schema, the description is nearly sufficient. The main gap is differentiation within a large set of overlapping listing and query siblings.

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 100%, and the schema documents folder semantics and stale-index behavior thoroughly. The description adds no parameter information of its own, so the baseline of 3 applies.

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?

It names a specific verb and resource, "List the most recently modified notes," and gives the ordering, "newest first." It does not separate itself from close siblings like list_documents, query_documents, or get_history, which could also list notes by date.

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

Usage Guidelines3/5

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

"Use it to pick up recent activity without a search query" gives a usage context and implies search is the alternative when a query exists. It gives no guidance relative to list_documents, query_documents, or get_history, which overlap with this tool.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.