Backstop MCP - Tools

5 min read

Overview

The server registers 44 tools, listed in tool registry. Each tool name links to its feature in Features, and code links to the file that implements it. The full contract (every argument, its description, and the output schema) is published to MCP clients from the code, so this page only says what each tool is for and what it returns. For behaviour and limits, see Features.

Kind:Read tools are annotated readOnlyHint: true. Write tools create or change records. Delete tools hard-delete; Backstop has no recycle bin. Every write and delete tool except log_activity and attach_file is annotated destructiveHint: true, so MCP hosts that honour the hint ask before running them. No tool is open-world.

Delete confirmation: when the client supports elicitation, a delete tool shows the record and asks the user to confirm. A declined, cancelled, or timed-out prompt is a tool error and deletes nothing. A client without elicitation support gets an immediate delete.

Party-scoped tools take search (a name or email) or a trusted party_id with its search_type. When several records match, they ask the user to pick or return candidates; when none match, they return not_found. Delete tools take only a trusted party_id. See Architecture: Party resolution.

Contacts

Tool	Kind	Returns
`get_organization`code	Read	One organization: its fields, `as_of` provenance, custom-field values joined to the catalog, and optional side-loads (`locations`, `email_addresses`, `primary_contact`, `representative`)
`get_person`code	Read	One person: job title, department, email, `employments` (current and former organizations), custom-field values, optional side-loads (`locations`, `company`, …)
`get_people_for_party`code	Read	The people linked to an organization, each `current` or `former` there, with key-employee flag; former staff counted in `former_omitted` unless requested
`search_organizations`code	Read	One page of organizations matching name, email, domain, location, custom-field and other filters, with locations and custom-field values, plus a cursor
`search_people`code	Read	One page of people matching name, email, title, company, department, location, custom-field and other filters, plus a cursor
`list_system_users`code	Read	The firm's own Backstop users: name, `user_name` login, email, `disabled`
`list_contact_categories`code	Read	Contact-category ids and names, for the `category_ids` of party writes
`list_contact_sources`code	Read	Contact-source ids and names, for `contact_source_id` on party writes
`create_person`code	Write	The new person's id, name, mobile phone as Backstop stored it, and CRM link
`create_organization`code	Write	The new organization's id, name, and CRM link
`update_person`code	Write	The person read back after the change, mobile phone as Backstop stored it, and ids of created or changed addresses
`update_organization`code	Write	The organization read back after the change, and ids of created or changed addresses
`create_employment`code	Write	The new employment's id and start date. Backstop also creates the mirror row (organization to person)
`end_employment`code	Write	The employment's id and stored end date, with warnings (for example an end date that is not in the past)
`delete_person`code	Delete	The deleted id, `permanent: true`, and the location ids removed first.
`delete_organization`code	Delete	The deleted id, `permanent: true`, and the location ids removed first.

Activities

Tool	Kind	Returns
`search_activities`code	Read	Meetings, calls, notes, emails, and documents in a date window, firm-wide or for one party: one page of rows with a cursor, or counts grouped by type, tag, party, or period. Includes `coverage` and attachment counts
`get_activity_detail`code	Read	One activity's full body as Markdown, its attachment list, and for meetings and calls the start, stop, location, time zone, and attendees
`get_activity_history`code	Read	One party's activity streams, one group per type, each a page of rows with a truncated `gist` and a `next` continuation. Fallback when `search_activities` is unavailable
`get_last_activity_for_parties`code	Read	For up to 100 parties: the newest activity, the count in the window, and `days_since_last_activity`; `unknown` when a party could not be checked
`get_tasks_for_party`code	Read	One party's tasks, open, completed, or both
`list_activity_tags`code	Read	Activity-tag ids and names, how many activities carry each, and whether each is shown in the UI
`log_activity`code	Write	The new record's id, kind, title, and CRM link; time zone and meeting type for meetings and calls; `send_notification` for tasks
`attach_file`code	Write	The new document or email record's id, kind, and CRM link (no link for emails)
`update_activity`code	Write	The changed record's id, collection, and CRM link
`delete_activity`code	Delete	The deleted record's id, collection, and `permanent: true`.

Opportunities

Tool	Kind	Returns
`get_opportunities`code	Read	Every deal of one party, filtered by open or closed: stage, previous stage, stage history, amounts, probability, custom fields, and open and closed counts
`search_opportunities`code	Read	Firm-wide deals filtered by representative, stage, product, open state, stage-change window, or custom field: one page of rows with selectable fields and a cursor, or counts grouped by stage, product, period, or party
`get_opportunities_by_ids`code	Read	Up to 50 deals by id with resolved custom fields and, optionally, stage history; `not_found` and `errors` name the ids that failed
`create_opportunity`code	Write	The new deal's id, name, the stage Backstop stored, and CRM link, with warnings
`update_opportunity`code	Write	The deal's id, the stage Backstop landed on, CRM link, and warnings
`backfill_opportunity_stage_history`code	Write	One outcome per history row (`applied`, or `failed` with the error), the applied count, and warnings
`delete_opportunity`code	Delete	The deleted deal's id and `permanent: true`.

Products and Accounts

Tool	Kind	Returns
`search_products`code	Read	Every product matching name, id, type, onshore flag, modified date, or custom field, with its custom-field values
`get_accounts_for_party`code	Read	A party's accounts across products with balance, commitment, unfunded commitment, shares, and `tenure_runs`; `source` and `data_caveat` say which endpoint answered
`get_product_investors`code	Read	The accounts in one or more products and their owners, with tenure rankings and, on request, each account's latest value and per-investor totals
`get_time_series`code	Read	Dated points of one series (for example `values` or `aums`) on one account or product, newest first, with status where Backstop sends it
`get_capital_flows`code	Read	Completed subscriptions and redemptions in a date window, with account, owner, amounts, share class and series

Custom Fields

Tool	Kind	Returns
`list_custom_fields`code	Read	Custom-field definitions for the requested entity types: id, name, type, layout, group, and picklist options
`list_custom_field_groups`code	Read	The tabs and sections of the CRM layout, each with the fields in it
`update_custom_field_values`code	Write	One outcome per value (`applied`, or `failed` with the error), `applied_count` and `total_count`, and warnings

Reports and Links

Tool	Kind	Returns
`run_report`code	Read	One page of a saved Report Center report as `columns` and `rows`, with `total` and `next_offset`; or `status: "running"` while Backstop builds it; `not_found` for an unknown report name
`build_backstop_links`code	Read	Labeled Backstop UI URLs for one record: the canonical page and its tabs or a layout; `not_configured` without a UI origin
`parse_backstop_link`code	Read	The page, record id, tab, and layout in a pasted Backstop URL, and which tool to call next