Built-in Tools

File Tools

read_file

Read the contents of a file in the workspace.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
path	string	yes	File path relative to workspace root

Files outside the workspace are blocked.

write_file

Write content to a file. Creates the file if it does not exist, overwrites if it does. Creates parent directories automatically. Requires permission (file_write).

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
path	string	yes	File path relative to workspace root
content	string	yes	Content to write

list_files

List files and directories in a workspace directory. Returns names with a trailing / for directories.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
path	string	no	Directory path relative to workspace root (default: root)

show_file

Present a file to the user as a downloadable card in the chat. Use after creating or processing a file that the user would want to download.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
path	string	yes	File path relative to workspace root
label	string	no	Display label for the file card

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Shell

bash

Execute a shell command in the workspace directory. Requires permission (bash). Uses cmd.exe on Windows and /bin/bash on other platforms. Timeout: 120 seconds. Output truncated at 50,000 characters.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
command	string	yes	The shell command to execute

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Web

web_fetch

Fetch the text content of a web page. Timeout: 30 seconds. Output truncated at 100,000 characters.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
url	string	yes	The URL to fetch

web_search

Search the web using DuckDuckGo. Returns results with titles, URLs, and snippets. No API key required.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
query	string	yes	The search query
maxResults	number	no	Maximum results to return (default: 5)

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Browser

browser

Control a visible Playwright-based browser window. The browser is visible to the user. Use web_fetch for simple content retrieval.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
action	string	yes	The action to perform (see below)
url	string	no	URL for navigate
selector	string	no	Element ref (@e1, @e2...) or CSS selector
text	string	no	Text for fill and type
value	string	no	Value for select
key	string	no	Key name for press (e.g. Enter, Tab)
script	string	no	JavaScript for evaluate
target	string	no	Wait target: CSS selector, milliseconds, or URL pattern

Actions:

Action	Description
navigate	Go to a URL
snapshot	Get accessibility tree with element refs (@e1, @e2...)
screenshot	Capture the page as an image artifact
click	Click an element by ref or CSS selector
fill	Clear an input field and fill with text
type	Type text into the focused or selected element
select	Select a dropdown option by value
press	Press a keyboard key
evaluate	Execute JavaScript on the page
get_text	Get the text content of an element
get_content	Get page title, URL, and accessibility snapshot
wait	Wait for a selector, text, or milliseconds
back	Navigate back in history
forward	Navigate forward in history
reload	Reload the page
close	Close the browser

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Memory

memory_read

Read long-term memory.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
scope	string	no	"project" (default) or "global"

Project memory is stored in .cortask/memory.md inside the workspace. Global memory is stored in the Cortask data directory.

memory_save

Replace the entire memory file with new content.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
content	string	yes	Full markdown content to write
scope	string	no	"project" (default) or "global"

memory_append

Append a note to memory. Also indexes the note in the searchable memory database for semantic retrieval.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
note	string	yes	The note to append
scope	string	no	"project" (default) or "global"

A warning is emitted when the memory file exceeds 200 lines, suggesting consolidation with memory_save.

memory_search

Search long-term memory using semantic and keyword search.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
query	string	yes	The search query
limit	number	no	Maximum results (default: 5)

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Data

data_file

Inspect and query data files (CSV, TSV, JSON, XLSX) without loading them into the conversation context.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
action	string	yes	"inspect" or "query"
path	string	yes	Path to the data file (relative to workspace)
sql	string	no	SQL query (for query action). The table is named data.

The inspect action returns column names, types, row count, and sample rows. The query action loads the file into an in-memory SQLite database and executes the SQL. Results are capped at 100 rows.

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Artifacts

artifact

Create rich artifacts (HTML, CSV, SVG, JSON, text) that render inline in the chat. Content can be provided directly or read from a workspace file.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
type	string	yes	"html", "csv", "json", "svg", or "text"
title	string	yes	Short title for the artifact
content	string	no	The artifact content (not needed if path is provided)
path	string	no	File path relative to workspace root (preferred when file exists)

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Scheduling

cortask_cron

Manage scheduled jobs that run agent prompts on a timer.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
action	string	yes	"list", "create", "update", "remove", or "run_now"
name	string	no	Job name (for create/update)
schedule_type	string	no	"at" (one-time), "every" (interval), or "cron" (recurring)
schedule_value	string	no	ISO datetime, milliseconds, or cron expression
timezone	string	no	Timezone (e.g. Europe/Berlin)
prompt	string	no	The prompt to execute when the job runs
enabled	boolean	no	Whether the job is enabled
delivery_channel	string	no	Channel for result delivery ("telegram", "discord", "whatsapp")
delivery_target	string	no	Target chat/user ID for delivery
job_id	string	no	Job ID (for update, remove, run_now)

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Interaction

questionnaire

Present a multi-step questionnaire to the user to collect structured information. Only available in the web UI (not in channel-based conversations).

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
title	string	no	Title of the questionnaire
description	string	no	Description of its purpose
questions	array	yes	Array of question objects

Each question object:

Field	Type	Required	Description
id	string	yes	Unique identifier
question	string	yes	The question text
type	string	yes	"single", "multiple", "text", or "textarea"
options	array	no	Options for single/multiple choice (each with value, label, optional description)
required	boolean	no	Whether the question must be answered
placeholder	string	no	Placeholder text for text inputs
allowOther	boolean	no	Add an "Other" option with text input

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Delegation

subagent

Spawn a child agent to handle an independent subtask. The sub-agent runs in isolation with its own context and returns the result directly. Use for delegating research, analysis, or parallel tasks.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
task	string	yes	Clear description of the task for the sub-agent

Constraints:

• Maximum nesting depth: 1 (sub-agents cannot spawn their own sub-agents)
• Maximum concurrent children per parent: 5
• Timeout: 120 seconds per sub-agent

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Navigation

switch_workspace

Switch the active workspace for channel-based conversations. Only available when the agent is accessed through a channel (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp), not in the web UI.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
action	string	yes	"list" or "switch"
workspace_name	string	no	Workspace name (case-insensitive partial match)

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Skills

cortask_skill

Manage custom skills. Skills are SKILL.md files with YAML frontmatter and markdown instructions.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
action	string	yes	"create", "update", "list", or "remove"
name	string	no	Skill name in kebab-case
content	string	no	Full SKILL.md content (for create/update)

Cannot overwrite bundled skills. Custom skills are stored in the user skills directory.