Alcove
MCP server via stdio. Auto-detects project by matching CWD against DOCS_ROOT folders.
When to Use
Any question about project design, status, conventions, decisions, env config, tech debt, code structure, or doc health. Check alcove before answering, not after.
Document Routing
| Question | File |
|---|---|
| "What does this do?" | PRD.md |
| "How is this built?" / code structure | ARCHITECTURE.md / CODE_INDEX.md |
| "What's the status?" | PROGRESS.md |
| "Why was X chosen?" | DECISIONS.md |
| "What style to use?" | CONVENTIONS.md |
| "What env vars needed?" | SECRETS_MAP.md |
| "Any known issues?" | DEBT.md |
Unsure → search_project_docs. Never contradict existing decisions.
Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
get_project_docs_overview |
List docs with tiers. Call first. |
search_project_docs |
BM25/grep. Default: current project. Global only if user says "all projects"/"everywhere" |
get_doc_file |
Read doc by path (offset/limit for large files) |
list_projects |
List all projects |
list_vaults |
List knowledge base vaults with doc counts |
search_vault |
Search vaults for research notes, reference materials, curated knowledge |
audit_project |
Cross-repo audit → file status + suggested_actions |
check_doc_changes |
Detect changes since last index. auto_rebuild: true to auto-refresh |
rebuild_index |
Full index rebuild |
validate_docs |
Validate against policy.toml → pass/warn/fail |
lint_project |
Broken links, orphans, stale markers, stale dates |
promote_document |
Import file from external vault into doc-repo |
configure_project |
Create/update alcove.toml. Preserves unmentioned fields |
init_project |
Scaffold docs from template |
backup_vault |
Git snapshot of vault state. Per-vault or all vaults |
Rules
Scope
Default: current project. Ambiguous → ask. Global only on explicit request.
Before writing code
CONVENTIONS.md→ project-specific rulesCODE_INDEX.md→ compact module/type/function overview (avoids reading dozens of source files)- For research/reference material →
search_vaultacross knowledge base vaults
Answering questions
Never answer from memory. get_project_docs_overview → read relevant file → summarize. Do not dump full files unless asked.
Doc status disambiguation
| User says | Tool |
|---|---|
| validate, policy, compliance | validate_docs |
| lint, broken link, orphan, stale | lint_project |
| audit, organize, cleanup, what's missing | audit_project |
| changed, stale index, new files | check_doc_changes |
Ambiguous → audit_project (broadest).
Acting on audit results
- alcove → project repo: OK for public-facing docs derived from internal content
- project repo → alcove: OK to restructure reference materials
- Internal docs → project repo: NEVER expose PRD/ARCHITECTURE/etc.
- Always confirm before moving/deleting files
- Re-run
audit_projectafter cleanup
Promoting notes
Path provided → act immediately. No matching project → inbox/. Then rebuild_index.
After development
Proactively capture at natural stopping points:
- Architecture change →
ARCHITECTURE.md - Decision rationale →
DECISIONS.md - Bug/workaround →
DEBT.md - Coding pattern →
CONVENTIONS.md - Env var →
SECRETS_MAP.md - Progress →
PROGRESS.md
Read → append with date → rebuild_index.