MCP tools & prompts

You rarely call these by name — ask your agent in plain words and it picks the tool. Wherever a tool takes ref, use name#n (sb#22), a bare number when unambiguous, or a path; collection accepts a name, an alias or a folder path.

Collections

Tool	Parameters	Does
create_collection	path, name?, aliases?, title?, summary?, owner?, link?, agent?, docs?, types?, tags?, statuses?, ignore?	Marks a folder as a collection (creating it if needed). The first one in a repo also returns the AGENTS.md snippet.
update_collection	collection, status?, and the same details	Edits the collection README's front-matter. Its name can't be changed here. Takes dimensions, graph, columns and folders too — refused if they wouldn't read cleanly; null removes one.
use_worktree	path?	Switches the server to another worktree of the repo for this session, so edits land where the agent is building; no path switches back. Every result names its checkout and branch; until you switch, it also lists the other worktrees, and writes warn that they're landing in the starting checkout.
ignore	collection, add?, remove?, dry_run?	Adds or removes .gitignore-style patterns for numbered files that aren't initiatives; dry_run previews.
fix	collection?, dry_run?	Repairs findings with one obvious fix — a broken link to an initiative that moved (one match by filename), dependencies written in front-matter — editing text only. Plans unless dry_run: false.
rename_collection	collection, to, dry_run?	Moves a collection to a new folder, rewriting links into and out of it, and name#n references when its name follows the folder.
renumber	ref, to?, dry_run?	Gives an initiative a new number (default: the next free one) — the fix for a number collision after a merge. Renames its file and asset folder and rewrites links and name#n references to it. Pass one file of a colliding pair by path.
tidy	collection, dry_run?	For a collection with folders:, moves every initiative into its status's folder (or the top), rewriting links. Plans unless dry_run: false.
repad	collection, width?, dry_run?	Pads every number in a collection to one width (01-), renaming files and asset folders and rewriting links across the repo. Plans only unless dry_run: false.
collections	—	Every collection with aliases, counts by status, number ready and ignored files.

Reading

Tool	Parameters	Does
fields	collection?, ref?	Every front-matter field a collection understands and the values it accepts — statuses and aliases, types, tags, scoring dimensions with their order and default.
list	collection?, type?, status?, tag?, owner?, ready?, where?, order_by?	Initiatives, filtered — where by scoring dimensions ({ priority: [critical, high] }) — and ordered by them with order_by ([priority, impact]).
get	ref	One initiative in full: dependency report, dependants, questions, acceptance criteria, themes, and every scoring dimension with its value and allowed values.
ready	collection?, type?	What can be picked up now, prerequisites first.
check_ready	ref	Whether one initiative is complete and ready to work on, check by check. Fails if it's already being built elsewhere.
graph	collection?, ref?, tag?, include_done?, and related?, themes?, show?, external?, direction?, arrows? to override the collection's graph settings	Dependency graph as data and Mermaid.
report	since?, until?, collection?, out?, palette?, mode?, branches?, worktrees?	Writes the one-page progress report and returns its path and figures — per collection and combined: complete, in progress, not started, scope, parked, what was delivered, added and taken out this period, and what needs attention.
questions	collection?, ref?, include_implementation?	Unresolved open questions — not those of abandoned or superseded work, unless asked for by ref. A question that looks like several decisions is marked compound.
next_question	ref, after?	The next blocking question to discuss, and how many remain; compound when it should be split first.
tags	—	Every tag, with descriptions, counts and theme docs.
validate	collection?, rules?, docs?	Problems with initiatives and collection structure. See Validation rules.
check_docs	paths?	History phrasing, design debate and initiative links in project docs.
version	—	The server's version.

Writing

Every write touches only the initiative (or collection README) concerned, plus the regenerated README blocks — and reports every file it touched, ready to commit.

Tool	Parameters	Does
create	collection, title, type?, tags?, goal?, depends_on?, related?, why?, owner?	Coins the next number and writes the skeleton; dependencies become links. A folder path that isn't a collection yet is marked as one.
update	ref, title?, type?, owner?, tags?, status_note?, docs?, status?, dimensions?, section?, content?	Edits front-matter or the H1, or replaces a body section — on done initiatives too, to refine settled work. status records the status of an initiative whose front-matter has none (for adopted files); changing a recorded status is set_status's job. dimensions sets scoring values ({ priority: "high" }, null clears). content is the section's body; a leading heading naming the section is dropped.
batch_update	entries, dry_run?	update for many initiatives at once — e.g. status: "from-text" across an adopted folder. All or nothing: if any entry fails, nothing is written and every failure is listed.
set_status	ref, status, superseded_by?, force?, reason?, outcome?	Changes status within the lifecycle rules. Aliases like parked are accepted. Abandoning needs a reason, shown in a callout under the title and in the README; outcome goes into ## Outcome. Starting work records the branch (or pass branch), and is refused if it's already in progress in another worktree or branch.
add_question	ref, text, implementation?	Adds an open question; a blocking one sends a designed initiative back to draft. Warns when the text looks like more than one decision (several ?, or a nested list).
split_question	ref, index or match, into, record_in?, mode?	Replaces one question with its parts, in place — each text or { text, implementation?, answer? }. A part with an answer is settled as it's written, like resolve_question.
resolve_question	ref, index or match, answer, record_in?, mode?	Removes the question and records the decision (or ticks it, with mode: tick).
set_dependencies	ref, add?, remove?, related_add?, related_remove?, why?	Adds or removes links under ## Dependencies / ## Related. Removes bullets only: a link in a paragraph stays, and the warning gives its line to edit by hand. Refuses cycles.
complete	ref, docs_impact	Marks it done. docs_impact lists the project docs changed (paths from the repo root, not initiative files), or none: <reason> (spikes default to none). Reports what became ready.
regenerate_readmes	collection?, check?	Rebuilds generated README blocks; check only reports stale ones.

Prompts

Prompt	Argument	For
design-review	ref	Working through open questions with you, one at a time, grounded in the code.
implement	ref	Handing an initiative to an agent to build. Starts with a readiness check.
spike	ref	Running a spike: measure, record findings, keep the code on its own branch.
triage	collection?	Reviewing what's stale, blocked, undecided and next.

Whether prompts appear as slash commands depends on your MCP client.

Resources

URI	Content
brindley://index	Overview of every collection, cross-collection dependencies and themes.
brindley://collection/<name>	One collection's tables and graph.
brindley://initiative/<name>/<n>	One initiative's Markdown.
brindley://tag/<tag>	A theme: its overview doc, then every tagged initiative.