markdown-vault-mcp

List Documents

list_documents

Read-onlyIdempotent

Enumerate all documents in the vault, with optional folder, pattern, or frontmatter filters and attachment inclusion. Use when you need a complete listing rather than ranked search results.

Instructions

List documents (and optionally attachments) in the vault.

Use this to enumerate documents when you need a complete listing, not ranked search results. For finding documents by content, use 'search'. Does NOT include body content — call 'read' for full text.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`folder`	No	Return only documents in this folder (e.g. "Journal"). Use folder="" for root-level (top-level) documents only.
`filters`	No	Frontmatter equality filters, ANDed (e.g. {"tags": "craft"}); any frontmatter key works and list fields match by membership. On an OKF bundle three keys carry OKF semantics: status ("draft"/"stable"/"deprecated"; "stable" also matches notes without a status field), stale ("true"/"false" — stale_after reached), and trust_tier ("unverified"/"machine-confirmed"/"human-reviewed"). Use {"status": "deprecated"} or {"stale": "true"} to build triage listings. Any filter excludes attachments (they carry no frontmatter).
`pattern`	No	Unix glob matched against relative paths (e.g. "Journal/.md", "/meeting*.md").
`include_attachments`	No	When True, also returns non-.md files (PDFs, images, etc.) that match the configured allowlist. Each attachment entry includes kind="attachment" and mime_type. Default False (notes only).
`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

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`result`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedv5.0.0Sep 15, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / filters / description

Previous value: -"Frontmatter equality filters, ANDed (e.g.\n{\"tags\": \"craft\"}); any frontmatter key works and list\nfields match by membership. On an OKF bundle three keys\ncarry OKF semantics: status (\"draft\"/\"stable\"/\"deprecated\";\n\"stable\" also matches notes without a status field), stale\n(\"true\"/\"false\" — stale_after passed), and trust_tier\n(\"unverified\"/\"machine-confirmed\"/\"human-reviewed\"). Use\n{\"status\": \"deprecated\"} or {\"stale\": \"true\"} to build\ntriage listings. Any filter excludes attachments (they\ncarry no frontmatter)."New value: +"Frontmatter equality filters, ANDed (e.g.\n{\"tags\": \"craft\"}); any frontmatter key works and list\nfields match by membership. On an OKF bundle three keys\ncarry OKF semantics: status (\"draft\"/\"stable\"/\"deprecated\";\n\"stable\" also matches notes without a status field), stale\n(\"true\"/\"false\" — stale_after reached), and trust_tier\n(\"unverified\"/\"machine-confirmed\"/\"human-reviewed\"). Use\n{\"status\": \"deprecated\"} or {\"stale\": \"true\"} to build\ntriage listings. Any filter excludes attachments (they\ncarry no frontmatter)."

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

addedInput schema / properties / filters

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "additionalProperties": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "null"
+    }
+  ],
+  "default": null,
+  "description": "Frontmatter equality filters, ANDed (e.g.\n{\"tags\": \"craft\"}); any frontmatter key works and list\nfields match by membership. On an OKF bundle three keys\ncarry OKF semantics: status (\"draft\"/\"stable\"/\"deprecated\";\n\"stable\" also matches notes without a status field), stale\n(\"true\"/\"false\" — stale_after passed), and trust_tier\n(\"unverified\"/\"machine-confirmed\"/\"human-reviewed\"). Use\n{\"status\": \"deprecated\"} or {\"stale\": \"true\"} to build\ntriage listings. Any filter excludes attachments (they\ncarry no frontmatter)."
+}

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

A4.5/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, idempotentHint=true, and destructiveHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds a meaningful behavioral trait: 'Does NOT include body content — call 'read' for full text.' This goes beyond annotations by clarifying the return semantics and what the tool will not do.

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?

The description is compact and front-loaded: the first sentence states the core purpose, and each subsequent sentence earns its place by addressing alternatives or exclusions. There is zero filler and every line contributes to the agent's ability to invoke the tool correctly.

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

Completeness5/5

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

Given the tool has a rich output schema.</thinking> The description covers all decision-relevant context: enumeration vs. search, body content exclusion, attachment option, and alternative tool selection. The remaining details (folder semantics, filter behavior, pattern syntax) live in the input schema, which is thoroughly documented. Nothing an agent needs to decide when to call this tool is missing.

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 description coverage is 100%, so the schema fully documents all five parameters. The description adds contextual framing (e.g., 'optionally attachments', complete listing vs. search) but does not introduce parameter-level semantics beyond what the schema already provides. Baseline 3 applies.

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

Purpose5/5

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

The description opens with a specific verb and resource: 'List documents (and optionally attachments) in the vault.' It also differentiates itself from sibling tools by explicitly contrasting with 'search' for content-based retrieval and 'read' for full text, making its purpose unmistakable.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

The description provides explicit when-to-use guidance: 'Use this to enumerate documents when you need a complete listing, not ranked search results.' It also names alternatives ('search', 'read') with the conditions that select them, leaving no ambiguity about routing.

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