# RevCent MCP Guide: `SearchProjectNotes`

AI/MCP-focused guide for searching RevCent Project Notes.

---

## Related Documentation

| Guide | Link | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Project Notes Overview | `https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/OverviewProjectNotes.md` | Explains how Project Notes preserve durable history, decisions, findings, warnings, and follow-up. |
| Project Overview | `https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/OverviewProject.md` | Explains Projects as durable AI/MCP pseudo repositories and context containers. |
| GetProjectNotes | `https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/GetProjectNotes.md` | Retrieve Project Note titles and metadata by date range. |
| GetProjectNote | `https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/GetProjectNote.md` | Retrieve one specific Project Note by ID. |
| CreateProjectNote | `https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/CreateProjectNote.md` | Create new Project Notes with title and content. |
| SearchProjects | `https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/SearchProjects.md` | Search Projects when the relevant Project ID is unknown. |

---

## Operation Summary

Operation:

```text
SearchProjectNotes
```

Purpose:

```text
Search previously created Project Notes using a search term.
```

Use `SearchProjectNotes` when AI/MCP needs to find Project history, decisions, warnings, setup details, report findings, entity IDs, or external-agent instructions by keyword or phrase.

---

## When to Use

Use `SearchProjectNotes` when:

- a keyword, phrase, entity ID, decision, warning, or finding may exist in Project Note history,
- AI/MCP needs to find relevant note content without paging through broad date ranges,
- the relevant Project is known and search should be limited with `project_id`,
- a Project Note title from `GetProjectNotes` is not enough to locate the right historical context,
- an external agent needs to find prior operating instructions or safety constraints.

Use `GetProjectNotes` when AI/MCP needs a date-range index of note titles and metadata. Use `SearchProjectNotes` when AI/MCP has a specific term or phrase to search.

---

## Input Schema

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---:|---:|---|
| `search_term` | string | Yes | Single search term or phrase used to search Project Notes with full-text search. |
| `project_id` | string | No | 20-character Project ID used to limit the search to one Project. |

Example search across Project Notes:

```json
{
  "search_term": "gateway routing warning"
}
```

Example search within one Project:

```json
{
  "search_term": "WooCommerce shipping import",
  "project_id": "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
}
```

---

## Output Summary

`SearchProjectNotes` returns search results. Each result can include:

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `item_type` | Returned item type. For this operation, `project_note`. |
| `id` | 20-character Project Note ID. |
| `created_date_unix` | Note creation timestamp. |
| `title` | Project Note title. |
| `content` | Project Note content returned by search. |
| `project.id` | Associated Project ID. |
| `project.name` | Associated Project name. |
| `metadata` | Metadata name/value pairs, when present. |
| `url` | Direct RevCent URL for the Project Note details page. |
| `highlights` | Search fields and values that matched. |
| `score` | Search-engine relevance score; higher means a better match. |

Important:

```text
SearchProjectNotes may return matching content in search results.
GetProjectNotes returns titles and metadata only, not content.
Use GetProjectNote when a workflow requires retrieving one specific Project Note by ID.
```

---

## Recommended Workflow

```text
1. Identify the relevant Project when possible.
2. Run SearchProjectNotes with search_term.
3. Include project_id when search should stay inside one Project.
4. Review titles, content snippets, highlights, project association, and score.
5. Use GetProjectNote with the Project Note ID when a specific note should be retrieved directly.
6. Use the note context before creating, editing, deleting, associating, disassociating, analyzing, or advising.
```

---

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

Do not:

- omit `search_term`; it is required,
- search all Project Notes when the relevant `project_id` is known,
- rely only on low-score or unrelated matches,
- ignore the associated Project returned with each note,
- treat `SearchProjectNotes` as a replacement for `CreateProjectNote` or `EditProjectNote`,
- make global-impact changes without reviewing relevant warnings or decisions found in Project Notes.

---

## Final AI/MCP Instruction

Use `SearchProjectNotes` for targeted keyword search across Project Note history. Limit by `project_id` when possible, review the matching context carefully, and use `GetProjectNote` when a specific Project Note should be retrieved by ID.


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Document Parent Directory
* [Operations](https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/index.md) - AI/MCP details and overviews for operations available within the RevCent MCP.