m365-mcp

List Items

m365_list

Read-onlyIdempotent

List emails, events, contacts, or OneDrive files in Microsoft 365 when you know where to look. Returns compact items plus a cursor for more.

Instructions

Browse items of one type in a known place: emails in a mail folder, events in a time window, calendars, contacts, contact folders, mail folders, inbox rules, or files in a OneDrive folder (optionally as a tree). Use this when you know where to look. Use m365_search to find items by text, and m365_get when you already have an ID. Returns compact items plus next_cursor for more.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`end`	No	event only: window end (default start + 7 days; at most 366 days after start).
`path`	No	drive_item only: OneDrive folder path instead of container_id, e.g. /Documents/Tax.
`limit`	No	Maximum number of items to return.
`start`	No	event only: window start (default now). RFC 3339 with offset.
`cursor`	No	next_cursor from the previous page; keep all other arguments the same.
`refresh`	No	Bypass the cache and fetch fresh data.
`resource`	Yes	Type of item to list.
`item_type`	No	drive_item only: which kinds of item to return.	all
`max_depth`	No	Tree depth when recursive=true.
`recursive`	No	email_folder and drive_item only: return a nested tree of folders instead of one level.
`account_id`	No	Account ID or email address. Omit when only one account is signed in.
`container_id`	No	Where to list. email: mail folder ID or alias (default inbox). email_folder: parent folder (default: top level). event: calendar ID (default: your default calendar). contact: contact folder ID (default: all contacts). drive_item: parent folder ID (default: OneDrive root). Not used for calendar, contact_folder and email_rule.
`email_filter`	No	email only: filters applied by Microsoft 365 (all must match).
`include_hidden`	No	email_folder only: include hidden folders.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`items`	Yes
`summary`	Yes	One-line human summary. The tool's text content is this result serialized as JSON (summary included), so a client that ignores structuredContent still sees every field.
`has_more`	Yes
`resource`	Yes
`next_cursor`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Addedv1.0.0Sep 29, 2026

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, idempotentHint=true, destructiveHint=false, openWorldHint=true, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds genuinely useful behavioral context beyond that: it returns 'compact items plus next_cursor for more', disclosing pagination and payload shape. It does not discuss caching semantics (left to the refresh param) or per-account behavior, but the added context is real.

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?

Three sentences, front-loaded with the capability and scope, then routing, then return shape. No filler, no repetition of schema content.

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 14-parameter listing tool with a rich schema and an output schema, the description covers selection, alternatives and pagination adequately; return values are delegated to the output schema as permitted. Minor gap: nothing about multi-account behavior (account_id) or cache staleness, though both are documented in the schema.

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% across 14 parameters, so the schema already documents resource enum values, filters, date windows, recursion and cursor reuse. The description only names the resource families and the tree option, adding no syntax or format detail beyond the schema. 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?

States a specific verb and resource set: 'Browse items of one type in a known place', then enumerates the concrete resource types (emails in a mail folder, events in a time window, calendars, contacts, folders, rules, OneDrive files). It also names the two siblings it is not (m365_search, m365_get), so an agent can distinguish it without opening schemas.

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?

Gives an explicit selection condition ('Use this when you know where to look') and routes the agent to alternatives: m365_search for text lookup, m365_get when an ID is already known. Both when-to-use and when-not-to-use are covered.

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