The MCP (Model Context Protocol) interface is the primary surface through which AI agents and users interact with the vault. Vault Cortex exposes a rich set of 31 tools and 3 prompts designed to give agents full agency over vault content while providing users with guided, high-level workflows.
Vault Cortex maintains a clear distinction between these two MCP primitives:
vault_list_tasks src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/tool-definitions.ts17Sources: src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/tool-definitions.ts20-27 src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/prompt-definitions.ts20-24 src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/__tests__/prompt-definitions.test.ts17-67
The tools are organized into functional groups, each handled by a dedicated registration module. All tools are optimized for agent efficiency, ensuring descriptions include clear "When to use", "Returns", and "Errors" sections.
| Domain | Module | Key Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Vault CRUD | vault-crud-tools.ts | Read/Write/Patch notes, move files with link rewriting, update frontmatter src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/tool-definitions.ts8-10 |
| Search & Discovery | search-tools.ts | Hybrid search (vector + FTS5), graph queries (backlinks/orphans), and property discovery src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/tool-definitions.ts11 |
| Tasks | task-tools.ts | Kanban-aware task index with structured filters and one-call status/lane updates src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/tool-definitions.ts17 |
| Memory | memory-tools.ts | Structured "About Me" storage with dated bullet entries and entry-granular recall src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/tool-definitions.ts12 |
| Daily Notes | daily-note-tools.ts | Automatic path resolution for date-based notes using Obsidian config src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/tool-definitions.ts14-16 |
| Assets | asset-tools.ts | Reading non-markdown files (images, Canvas) and discovery with extension filters src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/tool-definitions.ts18 |
Registration is orchestrated by registerTools src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/tool-definitions.ts29-53 which conditionally enables the memory domain based on memoryEnabled and asset tools based on fileToolsEnabled src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/tool-definitions.ts38-45
For a complete list of tool signatures and usage examples, see the Tool Reference.
Sources: src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/tool-definitions.ts7-55 src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/__tests__/prompt-definitions.test.ts88-95
Prompts in Vault Cortex are dynamic assemblies of the vault's current state. When a prompt is invoked, the server queries the search index, link graph, and memory layer to build a comprehensive "snapshot" for the agent src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/prompt-definitions.ts26-37
vault-orientation: Provides a statistical survey of vault health, including folder note counts and property adoption rates src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/prompt-definitions.ts8-10memory-review: Summarizes the memory layer, showing file outlines and dated entries to guide agent reflection src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/prompt-definitions.ts11-14daily-review: Focuses on specific date activity, helping reconcile the day's work src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/prompt-definitions.ts15-18Prompts degrade gracefully; for instance, if memoryEnabled is false, the memory review prompt is not registered src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/prompt-definitions.ts34-36
For details on the data assembled by each prompt, see the Prompt Reference.
Sources: src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/prompt-definitions.ts20-46 src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/__tests__/prompt-definitions.test.ts71-84
The interface layer acts as a thin orchestrator between the MCP protocol and the internal data layers.
Sources: src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/tool-definitions.ts29-53 src/vault-mcp/mcp-core/prompt-definitions.ts26-46
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