Query Tracing
Every context query produces trace entries that record what was accessed, when, and by what version. Traces provide a provenance chain from knowledge through to agent action.
What is traced
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
document_id |
Which document was accessed |
version |
Which version was served |
checkpoint |
The checkpoint at the time of access |
accessed_at |
Timestamp |
selector |
The query that triggered this access |
result_hash |
SHA-256 hash of the returned content |
Source node traces
Source node traces include additional fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
transport |
Transport type used (mcp, rest, cli, file) |
server |
Server name |
tool |
Tool name called |
cache_hit |
Whether the result was served from cache |
cache_age |
Age of cached result in seconds |
Provenance chain
Traces enable full provenance reconstruction:
"The agent resolved
pack:sprint.standup→ read 3 static docs at checkpoint 12 → hydratedsources/current-sprint-ticketsvia Jira MCP (cache miss, result hashsha256:9f1b...) → hydratedsources/recent-pr-activityvia GitHub MCP (cache hit, 4m old) → generated summary."
Design note
The trace records result_hash, not result_content. The trace proves what was seen without storing the full payload in the vault. Implementations requiring full result retention for compliance should store results in an external audit log.
Related pages
- Querying & TracingAgents request context by address (URI) or by selector query. The resolver returns only published content, with full tracing of what was accessed.
- PromptOwl DocumentationWelcome to the documentation for PromptOwl and Context Nest — the open protocol and hosted platform for giving AI agents structured, versioned, governed…
- Add DocumentsThis creates nodes/api-design.md from a frontmatter template as version 1, and regenerates the index. Tags accept a comma- or space-separated list; you…
- Addressing OverviewContext Nest uses the contextnest:// URI scheme to address documents, sections, tags, and folders within a vault.
- Authentication & API KeysContextNest Community distinguishes two kinds of key, and it is worth keeping them straight: