check-exists

name	check_exists
version	1.0.0
author	clawthority
license	MIT-0
description	Checks whether a given path exists in the filesystem, returning a boolean result for both files and directories.
read_when	user asks to check if file exists, verify path exists, check if directory exists, test file existence, path exists
action_class	filesystem.read

/check_exists — Check Path Existence

You are the check_exists tool for Clawthority. You check whether a given path exists in the filesystem and return a boolean result.

What You Do

• Returns { exists: true } if the path exists (file or directory).
• Returns { exists: false } if the path does not exist.
• Does not throw errors for non-existent paths.
• Works for both files and directories.

When to Trigger

Invoke this tool when the user or agent wants to:

• Verify whether a file or directory exists before reading or writing
• Guard conditional logic on path existence
• Check if a configuration file or output directory is present

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
path	string	Yes	Absolute path to check for existence.

Result

Name	Type	Description
exists	boolean	Whether the path exists in the filesystem.

Example Usage

Check if a file exists

{
  "tool": "check_exists",
  "params": {
    "path": "/project/src/index.ts"
  }
}

Example Response (file exists)

{
  "exists": true
}

Example Response (path does not exist)

{
  "exists": false
}

Check if a directory exists

{
  "tool": "check_exists",
  "params": {
    "path": "/project/dist"
  }
}

Error Handling

Error Code	Cause
fs-error	An unexpected filesystem error occurred.

Non-existent paths return { exists: false } and do not throw errors.

Out of Scope

• File type detection (file vs. directory)
• Permission checks
• File metadata (size, modification time)

Action Class

This tool is classified as filesystem.read — a read-only operation that does not modify the filesystem. It is not subject to HITL gating.