crystal_preflight before consequential changes to review relevant rules, lessons, and decisions. A bounded retrieval result cannot certify that an action is safe.
When to use
Use preflight before deleting data, changing a critical setting, or taking another consequential action. Describe the action specifically. Use recall for a general question and KB query for a named policy manual.
The API-key path sends the action as
query to POST /api/mcp/recall with mode: "preflight". That preset prioritizes relevant material; it does not universally apply hard category exclusions.
Hosted MCP returns a recall-shaped payload with memory content limited to 400 characters. Stdio returns checklist text followed by JSON containing action and itemCount.
The stdio JWT compatibility path embeds locally and does not forward project/repository context in the same way as the API-key path. Its embedding failure is an MCP tool error. Review the returned context and use your normal action approvals.
Examples
Examples use placeholder IDs. Replace them with IDs returned by your account. MCP examples show the JSON tool arguments and the JSON inside the tool result, not the outer MCP envelope.Check before replacing a backup
Request:Check a project action
Request:Use the checklist
Read each returned rule or lesson and compare it with the planned action. Fetch full memory text if the excerpt is incomplete. A result is evidence to consider, not permission to proceed. Stdio checklist output and hosted recall output express the same retrieval task in different formats.Errors and common mistakes
An empty checklist does not certify safety. Include enough detail to retrieve the relevant constraints and verify scope. Do not passmode: "preflight" to the public recall MCP schema; call this tool. Authentication, provider, and rate-limit failures need correction before relying on the check.