Tools reference

The V3Code agent has a large set of built-in tools. Reads run automatically; anything that changes files, runs commands, or drives the browser asks for approval first (see Modes → Approvals). This page is the reference for what actually ships.

Files & search (read-only)

Tool	Does
read_file	Read a file or line range, paginated, with a COMPLETE/TRUNCATED footer.
ls_dir · get_dir_tree	List a directory / a shallow tree.
search_for_files · search_pathnames_only · search_in_file	Full-text, filename, and in-file search.
find_text	Workspace text search with optional surrounding context lines.
read_lint_errors · get_build_errors	Live language-server diagnostics for a file / the whole workspace.
read_skill	Read an agent skill’s full SKILL.md by name.

Edits (approval: edits)

Tool	Does
create_file_or_folder · delete_file_or_folder	Create / delete files and folders.
rewrite_file · append_file · edit_file	Replace, append to, or search-replace within a file.
rename_symbol	LSP rename across the workspace.

All edits pass through a shadow-workspace lint verify with rollback before hitting disk.

Terminal, tests & sandbox (approval: terminal)

Tool	Does
run_command	One-shot command in a temp terminal (timeout 1–600s).
open_persistent_terminal · run_persistent_command · kill_persistent_terminal	Named background terminals. read_terminal_output reads them (no approval).
run_tests	Run the workspace test runner.
run_sandbox	Run a JS/TS snippet in an isolated node:vm.

Git

Reads (git_status, git_diff, git_log, git_branch, git_remote, git_show, git_blame) are automatic. Writes (git_stage, git_commit, git_push, git_pull, git_checkout, git_stash, git_merge, git_rebase, git_cherry_pick, git_restore, git_reset) ask for approval. Hard reset is blocked.

Context Bridge (structural intelligence)

get_file_context, get_file_dependencies, get_symbol_context, get_call_graph, pack_context, get_project_briefing — all read-only. See Context Bridge for details.

Notes: remember / forget (approval) and list_notes / search_notes (read).

Search & recall

Tool	Does
semantic_search	Meaning-based code search over the local index.
symbol_lookup · impact_trace	Native symbol tags and change-impact tracing (when the sidecar is present).
search_chat_memory · get_chat_session · get_chat_thread	Search and read recorded chat memory.
deep_recall · get_shadow_record	Break-glass search of the raw shadow archive.
recent_edits · workspace_delta · session_diff	What you or the agent changed recently.
index_health	Semantic-index status, with optional re-scan.

Security review

Tool	Does
security_scan	Reviews supported workspace source for suspicious data flows and compares possible findings with the previous scan journal. It helps the agent notice issues; it is not a complete security audit. See Cyber Protection.

Web & browser

web_search and web_fetch are read-only. open_browser opens an in-editor browser pane. The full Playwright automation suite (open_browser_page, click_element, fill_form, run_playwright_code, reconstruct_page_sources, intercept_network, session save/restore, …) drives real pages — the navigating/mutating ones ask for approval; reads like read_page, screenshot_page, and get_browser_console_logs are automatic. See The browser.

Subagents, planning & image

Tool	Does
launch_subagent	Background, fire-and-forget subagent; result is injected back into the thread later.
run_subagent	Synchronous delegation that blocks and returns a result.
update_plan	The agent’s per-thread todo list (persists in .v3code/active-plan.json).
ask_user	Ask you a multiple-choice question.
generate_image	Generate an image (Grok / xAI) into the workspace (approval: edits).