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Create Basecamp Comment

basecamp_create_comment

Add a comment to a Basecamp message, to-do, card, or other resource by supplying its ID and HTML content.

Instructions

Add a comment to any Basecamp resource (message, todo, card, etc.).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
contentYesHTML comment content. HTML rules for content: * Allowed tags: p, span, h2, h3, h4, br, strong, em, strike, code, a (with href attribute), pre, ol, ul, li, blockquote, mark, figure, figcaption, table, tbody, tr, th, td, div, bc-attachment. * Wrap every paragraph in <p>...</p>, and put <p><br></p> between one paragraph and the next. Both parts are necessary: newlines and blank lines in your HTML are discarded, and Basecamp shows no space around a <p> on its own, so two paragraphs with nothing between them are shown as one block of text. Do not rely on line breaks in your HTML to separate paragraphs. * Headings: use <h2>, <h3>, <h4> as appropriate. * Inline code: <code>text</code>. Preformatted blocks: <pre>text</pre>. * Ordered lists: <ol><li>...</li></ol>. Unordered: <ul><li>...</li></ul>. * Tables: <table><tbody><tr><th>Heading</th>...</tr><tr><td>Cell</td>...</tr></tbody></table> * To mention a person: <bc-attachment person-id="{ person.id }"></bc-attachment>. Put the tag where the name must show in the text, for example "Thanks <bc-attachment person-id="123"></bc-attachment> for the fix". The person gets a notification. If the ID is not a person, the tool returns an error and writes nothing. Get person IDs from basecamp_list_people, or from the people in other responses (assignees, creators). * Single image: <bc-attachment sgid="{ attachment.attachable_sgid }"></bc-attachment> * Image gallery: wrap multiple <bc-attachment sgid="..." presentation="gallery"> in a <div>. * A bc-attachment needs an attachable_sgid. For a file that is already in Basecamp, take the sgid from the HTML content of the message, comment or card that shows it, or use basecamp_list_recordings. For a file that is not in Basecamp yet, such as an image at an external URL or a screenshot on disk, upload it with basecamp_create_attachment and use the sgid that it returns. There is no <img> tag, so an external image URL can never be embedded directly: upload it, or accept that it stays a plain link. * Basecamp auto-enriches bc-attachment tags after saving (adds url, href, filename, content-type, etc.) — you never need to write those. * When you see an existing, already-enriched <bc-attachment> tag (e.g. from a previous list/get call), leave its inner HTML alone. Before any content_append/content_prepend/search_replace runs, it is automatically collapsed back to its minimal form (sgid, presentation, caption, and content-type for mentions) — you don't need to strip it yourself, and doing so manually is unnecessary and risks mismatched find strings. * Background highlights: <mark style="background-color: var(--highlight-bg-N);">...</mark> * Text color highlights: <span style="color: var(--highlight-N);">...</span> * For both, N is 1 (yellow), 2 (amber), 3 (red), 4 (pink), 5 (purple), 6 (blue), 7 (teal), 8 (near-white), or 9 (light gray).
recording_idYesBasecamp resource identifier

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed1 schema field changedv1.6.0
    • changedInput schema / properties / content / description
      Previous value: -"HTML comment content. To mention people: <bc-attachment sgid=\"{ person.attachable_sgid }\"></bc-attachment>"New value: +"HTML comment content. \n\nHTML rules for content:\n\n* Allowed tags: p, span, h2, h3, h4, br, strong, em, strike, code, a (with href attribute), pre, ol, ul, li, blockquote, mark, figure, figcaption, table, tbody, tr, th, td, div, bc-attachment.\n* Wrap every paragraph in <p>...</p>, and put <p><br></p> between one paragraph and the next. Both parts are necessary: newlines and blank lines in your HTML are discarded, and Basecamp shows no space around a <p> on its own, so two paragraphs with nothing between them are shown as one block of text. Do not rely on line breaks in your HTML to separate paragraphs.\n* Headings: use <h2>, <h3>, <h4> as appropriate.\n* Inline code: <code>text</code>. Preformatted blocks: <pre>text</pre>.\n* Ordered lists: <ol><li>...</li></ol>. Unordered: <ul><li>...</li></ul>.\n* Tables: <table><tbody><tr><th>Heading</th>...</tr><tr><td>Cell</td>...</tr></tbody></table>\n* To mention a person: <bc-attachment person-id=\"{ person.id }\"></bc-attachment>. Put the tag where the name must show in the text, for example \"Thanks <bc-attachment person-id=\"123\"></bc-attachment> for the fix\". The person gets a notification. If the ID is not a person, the tool returns an error and writes nothing. Get person IDs from basecamp_list_people, or from the people in other responses (assignees, creators).\n* Single image: <bc-attachment sgid=\"{ attachment.attachable_sgid }\"></bc-attachment>\n* Image gallery: wrap multiple <bc-attachment sgid=\"...\" presentation=\"gallery\"> in a <div>.\n* A bc-attachment needs an attachable_sgid. For a file that is already in Basecamp, take the sgid from the HTML content of the message, comment or card that shows it, or use basecamp_list_recordings. For a file that is not in Basecamp yet, such as an image at an external URL or a screenshot on disk, upload it with basecamp_create_attachment and use the sgid that it returns. There is no <img> tag, so an external image URL can never be embedded directly: upload it, or accept that it stays a plain link.\n* Basecamp auto-enriches bc-attachment tags after saving (adds url, href, filename, content-type, etc.) — you never need to write those.\n* When you see an existing, already-enriched <bc-attachment> tag (e.g. from a previous list/get call), leave its inner HTML alone. Before any content_append/content_prepend/search_replace runs, it is automatically collapsed back to its minimal form (sgid, presentation, caption, and content-type for mentions) — you don't need to strip it yourself, and doing so manually is unnecessary and risks mismatched find strings.\n* Background highlights: <mark style=\"background-color: var(--highlight-bg-N);\">...</mark>\n* Text color highlights: <span style=\"color: var(--highlight-N);\">...</span>\n* For both, N is 1 (yellow), 2 (amber), 3 (red), 4 (pink), 5 (purple), 6 (blue), 7 (teal), 8 (near-white), or 9 (light gray).\n"
  2. Changed5 schema fields changedv1.2.1
    • removedInput schema / properties / bucket_id
      Removed value: -{
      -  "description": "Basecamp resource identifier",
      -  "type": "number"
      -}
    • removedInput schema / properties / recording_id / $ref
      Removed value: -"#/properties/bucket_id"
    • addedInput schema / properties / recording_id / description
      Added value: +"Basecamp resource identifier"
    • addedInput schema / properties / recording_id / type
      Added value: +"number"
    • changedInput schema / required
      Previous value: -[
      -  "bucket_id",
      -  "recording_id",
      -  "content"
      -]New value: +[
      +  "recording_id",
      +  "content"
      +]
  3. Changed3 schema fields changedv1.0.0
    • addedInput schema / $schema
      Added value: +"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"
    • addedInput schema / additionalProperties
      Added value: +false
    • changedInput schema / properties / content / description
      Previous value: -"Comment content (HTML supported)"New value: +"HTML comment content. To mention people: <bc-attachment sgid=\"{ person.attachable_sgid }\"></bc-attachment>"
  4. First observed

TDQS

B3.2/5.0
Behavior2/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=false, idempotentHint=false, openWorldHint=true and destructiveHint=false, so the write/non-destructive profile is covered structurally. The description adds nothing beyond that — no note that this triggers notifications for mentioned people, no note that recording_id must resolve or the call fails, no mention of auth requirements.

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?

A single short sentence with the action and scope front-loaded; nothing wasted and nothing buried.

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 two-parameter mutation whose annotations cover the safety profile and whose schema exhaustively documents content, the description is largely sufficient. It is slightly thin on where recording_id comes from and on the error behavior for invalid person IDs, but those are secondary.

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% and the content parameter carries an extremely detailed HTML/mention/attachment spec, so the schema does the heavy lifting. The description adds no parameter-level detail of its own, which is the baseline-3 case.

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?

States a specific verb ('Add') and resource ('comment') and broadens scope with examples of target resources (message, todo, card). It does not explicitly distinguish itself from the sibling basecamp_update_comment, but an agent can still tell what it creates.

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

Usage Guidelines2/5

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

There is no when-to-use guidance, no when-not guidance, and no mention of the obvious alternative basecamp_update_comment. The agent must infer that this is for new comments versus edits.

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