# Whether the workspace keeps the why field (opt in)

`GET /api/v1/mcp/why` · operationId `getMcpWhyField`

For developers: your server sends this request with a server key; it is not a button in the dashboard.

The Telltale MCP SDK reads this at start and every five minutes, and adds the optional reason parameter to the tools named in its why option only while enabled is true. Off by default; a workspace owner or admin turns on "Understand what agents are trying to do".

## Authentication

Send `Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SERVER_KEY` (siteServerKey: Site server key in Authorization: Bearer <key> (the scheme is case-insensitive and required; a bare key is 401). Shown once on creation or rotation. Publishable keys cannot authenticate). Keep the server key in server-only configuration; never send it to a browser.

## Responses

- **200**: Success · body `object`
- **400**: bad_request: the request is invalid; message says what to fix and field names the request field · body `Error`
- **401**: unauthorized (missing or invalid server key, missing Bearer scheme) · body `Error`
- **403**: forbidden: the call came from a browser page or another Site; call from your server with this Site’s server key · body `Error`
- **404**: not_found: nothing with this ID on this Site (or it is past retention), or an unknown path · body `Error`
- **429**: rate_limited: wait for Retry-After · body `Error` · headers `Retry-After`
- **500**: internal_error: fail the protected action; do not retry automatically · body `Error`
- **503**: service_unavailable: temporarily unavailable; only verify retries · body `Error`

### Success body fields

- `enabled` (boolean, required)
- `maxLength` (integer, required)

Failures are not verdicts. Error bodies follow the `Error` schema: `code` is one of `bad_request`, `unauthorized`, `session_reinit_required`, `forbidden`, `not_found`, `conflict`, `identity_required`, `payload_too_large`, `rate_limited`, `internal_error`, `service_unavailable`, `request_failed`, `approval_invalid`, `approval_used`, `approval_expired`, `approval_mismatch`, `step_up_not_held`, `step_up_mismatch`, `step_up_settled`, `step_up_expired`, `step_up_superseded`, `agent_tokens_disabled`, `tool_not_approved`, `tool_not_read_only`. [Errors and retries](/docs/errors) explains each code and what to do.

## Example

```sh tab=curl
curl -sS -X GET 'https://app.trytelltale.dev/api/v1/mcp/why' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TELLTALE_SERVER_KEY"
```

```js tab=fetch
const response = await fetch("https://app.trytelltale.dev/api/v1/mcp/why", {
  method: "GET",
  headers: {
    Authorization: 'Bearer ' + process.env.TELLTALE_SERVER_KEY
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(5000)
});
const result = await response.json();
```

Machine-readable contract: [openapi.json](https://app.trytelltale.dev/openapi.json). Request builder: the [API explorer](/docs/api-explorer) shows every operation as curl; it sends requests only on a local dashboard.