--- title: MCP reference description: Reference for the Paseo tools agents use to manage agents, workspaces, scripts, terminals, and schedules. nav: MCP reference order: 34 category: Orchestration --- # MCP reference [Enable Paseo tools](/docs/orchestration#get-started) to give agents this catalog. Ask for an outcome in natural language, or use the tool interfaces below. ## Configuration | Setting | Default | Purpose | | ----------------------------- | ------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | `daemon.mcp.enabled` | `true` | Run the MCP server. | | `daemon.mcp.injectIntoAgents` | `false` | Give agents launched by Paseo access to its tools. | Depending on the provider, Paseo delivers tools through its native tool interface or MCP. The capabilities are the same. Start a new agent or reload an existing one after changing injection settings. ## Limit Paseo tools by provider Use provider policies when different agent profiles should receive different Paseo tools. Enable tool injection globally, then add `paseoTools` to the exact provider IDs you launch: ```json { "$schema": "https://paseo.sh/schemas/paseo.config.v1.json", "version": 1, "daemon": { "mcp": { "enabled": true, "injectIntoAgents": true } }, "agents": { "providers": { "codex-lead": { "extends": "codex", "label": "Codex Lead" }, "codex-worker": { "extends": "codex", "label": "Codex Worker", "paseoTools": { "disabledTools": ["create_agent", "send_agent_prompt", "kill_agent"] } }, "codex-isolated": { "extends": "codex", "label": "Codex Isolated", "paseoTools": { "enabled": false } } } } } ``` Run `paseo reload` after editing `~/.paseo/config.json`, then start a new agent or reload an existing one. A running session keeps the catalog it received at launch. Omitting `paseoTools` enables the complete catalog. Set `enabled` to `false` to remove the catalog, or list exact tool IDs in `disabledTools` to remove selected tools. Custom profiles do not inherit this policy from `extends`; configure each custom provider ID separately. Browser tools still require browser tools to be enabled and a connected browser host. The voice-only `speak` tool is separate from this policy. This setting limits the catalog presented to an agent. It is not a security boundary for an agent that can access the host through a shell. ## Mental model Workspaces decide where work happens; agent parentage decides who owns the work. - An agent that calls `create_agent` without a `workspaceId` gets a subagent in its own workspace. - Passing a `workspaceId` places that subagent in another workspace without detaching it from its parent. - A top-level MCP caller without a workspace gets a new local workspace. - Create a workspace first when you need worktree isolation, a specific branch, or a pull request checkout. MCP does not expose an agent-detach tool. Detaching is a manual user action in the app or CLI. ## Tools ### Agents | Tool | Function | | -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `create_agent` | Create an agent, optionally placing it in an existing workspace with `workspaceId`. Use `initialPrompt` to start work; returns without waiting for completion. | | `send_agent_prompt` | Send a prompt using `agentId` and `prompt`; returns without waiting for completion. | | `get_agent_status` | Return the latest snapshot for an agent. | | `list_agents` | List recent agents as compact metadata; `includeBackground: true` includes background work. | | `cancel_agent` | Abort an agent's current run but keep the agent alive. | | `archive_agent` | Soft-delete an agent and remove it from the active list. | | `kill_agent` | Terminate an agent session permanently. | | `update_agent` | Update an agent name, labels, or runtime settings such as mode/model/thinking/features. | | `get_agent_activity` | Return recent agent timeline entries as a curated summary. | | `set_agent_mode` | Switch an agent's session mode. | Paseo agents receive finish, error, and permission notifications by default; set `notifyOnFinish: false` to disable them. External MCP clients use `get_agent_status` and `get_agent_activity` to check results. ### Workspaces | Tool | Function | | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `create_workspace` | Create a local or worktree-isolated workspace. Worktrees can branch off, check out a branch, or a PR. `background: true` hides it from default lists and the sidebar while preserving history and access by ID. Omission inherits the calling agent’s workspace setting, or defaults to false without a caller. | | `list_workspaces` | List active workspaces and their directories and isolation. Use `includeBackground: true` to include background workspaces. | | `rename_workspace` | Change the user-visible name of the current or specified workspace. | | `archive_workspace` | Archive a workspace and the sessions it owns. | For worktree isolation, `create_workspace` accepts the same useful choices as the app: branch off from a base, check out an existing branch, or check out a pull request. The worktree remains an implementation detail of the workspace lifecycle. ### Workspace scripts These tools manage scripts configured in a workspace's `paseo.json`. Each requires an explicit `workspaceId`; start and stop also require the configured `scriptName`. | Tool | Function | | ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `list_workspace_scripts` | List configured scripts with lifecycle, terminal, port, proxy URL, and health metadata. | | `start_workspace_script` | Start a configured script through Paseo's managed launcher. | | `stop_workspace_script` | Stop a running script through its supervised terminal. | See [Git worktrees](/docs/worktrees#scripts-and-services) for `paseo.json` configuration. ### Terminals | Tool | Function | | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `list_terminals` | List terminal sessions for one working directory or all working directories. | | `create_terminal` | Create a terminal session for a working directory. | | `kill_terminal` | Kill a terminal session. | | `capture_terminal` | Capture plain-text output from a terminal session. | | `send_terminal_keys` | Send text or special key tokens to a terminal session. | ### Schedules and heartbeats Both use the same cron engine, but they have deliberately different interfaces. | Tool | Function | | ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `create_schedule` | Create a cron schedule that starts a new agent for each run. | | `list_schedules` | List new-agent schedules managed by the daemon. | | `inspect_schedule` | Inspect a schedule and its run history. | | `pause_schedule` | Pause an active schedule. | | `resume_schedule` | Resume a paused schedule. | | `update_schedule` | Change a schedule's cron, prompt, agent settings, limits, or other settings. | | `schedule_logs` | Return recent runs and output for a schedule. | | `run_schedule_once` | Start one new-agent schedule run without changing its cron. | | `delete_schedule` | Delete a new-agent schedule permanently. | | `create_heartbeat` | Send a recurring cron-backed prompt into the current agent. | | `delete_heartbeat` | Delete one of the current agent's heartbeats. | MCP heartbeats are ephemeral: create or delete them. To change one, delete it and create a replacement. Pause, resume, update, inspect, logs, and run-once apply to new-agent schedules only. ### Agent profiles | Tool | Function | | --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `list_profiles` | Return the host's saved agent profiles, including their notes and launch settings. Returns an empty list when none are configured. | Before delegating, read each profile's `notes` and choose the profile the user named or the one that fits the task. See [Agent profiles](/docs/agent-profiles) for setup and example notes. `create_agent` has no profile parameter and requires a `provider/model` pair. If the profile has no model, call `list_models` for its provider and choose an available model for the task before launching. Apply the chosen profile's values to the launch request: | Profile field | `create_agent` field | | ------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `provider` and optional `model` | `provider` as `provider/model`, using the saved or discovered model ID | | `modeId` | `settings.modeId` | | `thinkingOptionId` | `settings.thinkingOptionId` | | `featureValues` | `settings.features` | | `notes` | Selection guidance for the orchestrator; supply the task in `initialPrompt` | Omit absent optional settings. If no profile fits, use provider discovery to choose available settings. ### Providers | Tool | Function | | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | `list_providers` | List configured agent providers, availability, and modes. | | `list_models` | List models for an agent provider. | | `inspect_provider` | Inspect compact provider capabilities and draft feature settings. | ### Permissions | Tool | Function | | -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | `list_pending_permissions` | Return pending permission requests across agents. | | `respond_to_permission` | Approve or deny a pending permission request. | ### Browser Browser automation is opt-in and adds tools for opening tabs, reading pages, clicking, typing, and taking screenshots. See the [Browser tools reference](/docs/browser-tools). ### Voice | Tool | Function | | ------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `speak` | Speak text through daemon-managed voice output. Available only in voice-enabled sessions. |