MCP Tool
nova.explore_surface
For risk-bounded actions with visible user control, an agent uses this public tool to start or monitor the bounded flow "Hover-Peek". It names the scope, progress signal, stopping condition, and result check that keep the run bounded.
Canonical reference for a public MCP tool name.
- Type
- MCP tool
- Family
- Surface Explorer (High Risk, Opt-in)
- Effect
- bounded run
- Status
- Explained
- Path
- 28.3
Purpose
What this entry explains
What it does
nova.explore_surface
An agent uses this tool to start or monitor the bounded flow "Hover-Peek". It belongs to risk-bounded actions with visible user control; agents should combine it with current discovery, target awareness, and the visible result.
Use when
- Use this entry when an agent needs to start or monitor the bounded flow "Hover-Peek" for risk-bounded actions with visible user control.
- Use it to understand the public tool name, its expected boundary, and the response signals to check.
- Use it before chaining follow-up tools so the next step is based on current evidence.
Reference Use
How agents should cite and apply this area
Examples are maintained at family level and use only public tool names or reference paths already present in the catalog.
Family example
An agent prepares a bounded run in risk-bounded actions with visible user control and must keep scope, progress, and stop condition visible.
The agent starts with nova.explore_surface, reads the current response or reference, and only then chooses the concrete next tool.
Scope, budget, progress, stop condition, and terminal status remain part of the run.Contract
Inputs and important response fields
This page is a public reference. Agents and integrators should still read current MCP tool discovery before execution, because schemas can be gated by settings or version.
Inputs
mode
Execution or read mode. Confirm it against current tool discovery before use.
Response fields
No fixed public response field is derived from the catalog source for this path. Use current tool discovery and the actual response before chaining the next step.
Safety
Boundary before execution
Starts or observes a bounded run. Scope, limits, progress, and terminal status need to stay visible.
Set scope and limits before starting the run, poll explicit progress or status fields, and stop instead of assuming completion.
For humans, this entry shows which bounded flow in risk-bounded actions with visible user control starts or continues, and where scope, progress, and stopping conditions belong.
High-Impact Review
Execution boundary and recheck hints
Review category: Auto-apply/mutating flows
Mutating steps may run only with confirmed target, expected effect, user control, and result check.
False assumption: a guard or auto-apply signal replaces current target and result checks.
The user must be able to review action, target, approval, block signal, and visible result.
Execute only the intended step, then verify state and stop on warning, block, or target change.
Recheck if candidate budget, gate, visible state, or expected effect do not line up.
Safety Axes
How this path can affect work
Axes are stable catalog signals for humans, agents, and LLM discovery. One path can carry several axes.
page_interaction
Clicks, types, selects, uploads, or interacts with visible page elements.
Execute only with a visible target, expected effect, and a follow-up result check.automation_run
Starts or monitors crawls, sequences, schedulers, tasks, batches, or longer runs.
Keep scope, budget, progress, stop condition, and terminal status visible before and during the run.user_confirmation
Requires visible confirmation, target review, approval, or deliberate user control.
Do not proceed until the required confirmation is visible or unambiguous in the current context.