| name | doc-read |
| description | Search and retrieve content from the doctree-mcp knowledge base. Use when you need to find information in the indexed markdown docs. |
| argument-hint | ["search query or topic"] |
Retrieve Documentation
Find and retrieve content from the markdown knowledge base using the doctree-mcp tools.
Workflow
Follow these steps in order. Do NOT skip the tree step — it lets you target exactly what to read instead of dumping entire documents.
Step 1: Search or browse
If you have a specific query, search for it:
search_documents(query: "$ARGUMENTS")
If you're exploring broadly or want to see what's available:
list_documents(query: "$ARGUMENTS")
Note the doc_id and node_id values from the results.
Step 2: Read the document outline
Pick the most relevant document from step 1 and get its structure:
get_tree(doc_id: "<doc_id from step 1>")
Read the outline carefully. Identify which sections are relevant to the query based on their titles, word counts, and summaries. Do NOT retrieve everything — pick only what matters.
Step 3: Retrieve specific content
For a single section or a few sections:
get_node_content(doc_id: "<doc_id>", node_ids: ["<node_id>", ...])
For a section and all its subsections (more efficient than fetching each child):
navigate_tree(doc_id: "<doc_id>", node_id: "<parent_node_id>")
Step 4: Follow cross-references
If the retrieved content mentions or links to other documents, repeat steps 2-3 for those documents if the user needs that information.
Tips
- Use specific terms in search queries — BM25 matches keywords, not semantic meaning
- Use facet filters to narrow search:
filters: { "type": "runbook", "tags": ["auth"] }
- Check search snippets first — the top 3 results include inline content, which may already answer the question
- Prefer
navigate_tree over multiple get_node_content calls when you need a whole section with children
- If search returns no results, try alternative terms or check the glossary — abbreviations like "CLI" expand to "command line interface" automatically
