Description
The Built-In Vault Tool Catalog gives any compatible MCP host a broad, typed operating surface over a Dots vault. The live createMcpServer factory registers 38 built-ins: vault and outline reads, six code-graph tools, governed row and edge writes, Superpower tools, saved-view and widget operations, and the batch meta-tool. Every handler is a thin HTTP client of the same daemon routes used by other surfaces.
The workflow is designed for MCP hosts and coding agents. It uses the same authenticated, company-scoped service contracts as the rest of Dots, so terminal or protocol convenience never creates a second source of truth. Inputs are validated before or at the route boundary, and outputs preserve identifiers and structured details needed for a reliable next step.
Selling Points
- Lets agents discover and use Dots capabilities through the standard MCP protocol.
- Keeps tool inputs contract-pinned to live API schemas rather than drifting copies.
- Covers both knowledge retrieval and governed mutation in one catalog.
- Provides structured content alongside model-readable text for programmatic consumers.
- Maintains parity with core CLI and API workflows while remaining host-neutral.
User Story
A coding agent connects from its preferred MCP host, searches the vault, opens a row section, analyzes a code symbol's impact, and creates a related knowledge edge. It completes the workflow without shell parsing or a custom Dots integration. The result is a concrete, inspectable outcome that another person or automation can continue from without reconstructing hidden state.
Extension Surface
The built-in catalog is automatable: packages/mcp/src/server.ts registers the closed core roster and packages/mcp/src/tools.ts implements handlers. Runtime additions use a separate extension feature rather than mutating the built-ins. The rating reflects the most-open supported seam that is true for this capability, not a transitive implementation detail. The cited path is the operational proof: consumers can use the documented seam, while unsupported changes still require a core release.
Capabilities & Limits
- Capability: Vault, row, outline, HUMAN.md, search, graph, and Superpower reads.
- Capability: Row, edge, saved-view, and dashboard-widget writes with typed inputs.
- Capability: Structured result channels and API error translation.
- Limit: Advertisement and execution remain constrained by credential scope and read-only policy; a connected host does not automatically receive all 38 tools.
The limit is intentional product truth rather than missing documentation. Calls also remain subject to authentication, tenant selection, schema validation, and the permissions enforced by the authoritative service.
Implementation Map
packages/mcp/src/server.tspackages/mcp/src/tools.tsdocs/mcp/tools.md