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# Search conversations

> Conversations matching a Help Scout search: status, tag, assignee, subject and free text. Input schema, a tools/call example and an example result.

Source: https://cotlet.dev/docs/mcp/help-scout/search_conversations

Docs sections: [Get started](https://cotlet.dev/docs.md) · [REST API](https://cotlet.dev/docs/api.md) · [MCP](https://cotlet.dev/docs/mcp.md) · [SDKs & CLI](https://cotlet.dev/docs/sdks.md) · [Integrations](https://cotlet.dev/docs/integrations.md)

Conversations matching a Help Scout search: status, tag, assignee, subject and free text.

Help Scout MCP tools: https://cotlet.dev/docs/mcp/help-scout.md

MCP tool: `help_scout_read → search_conversations`

Access: read.

Runs the same search as the search box in Help Scout and returns the conversations it finds, newest first, with the fields shown in a folder list. Free text matches the subject, body, notes and attachment file names; filters such as status:active, assigned:Unassigned, tag:billing and subject:urgent narrow it, and a comma means OR (tag:shirts,ties). A search holds up to 1,000 characters. You see only inboxes your account can open, and deleted conversations are not returned.

## Parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `query` | string | yes | Help Scout search text and filters, e.g. 'status:active assigned:Unassigned tag:billing'. Up to 1,000 characters. |
| `inbox` | string | no | Inbox name, e.g. 'Support'. Default: every inbox you can open. |
| `limit` | integer | no | 1 to 50. Default: 25. |
| `cursor` | string | no | Next page cursor from the previous call. |

## tools/call

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "help_scout_read",
    "arguments": {
      "operation": "search_conversations",
      "arguments": {
        "query": "status:active assigned:Unassigned tag:billing"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

## Example response

```json
{
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "text": "{ ... same JSON as structuredContent ... }"
    }
  ],
  "structuredContent": {
    "query": "status:active assigned:Unassigned tag:billing",
    "total": 2,
    "conversations": [
      {
        "conversation_id": 48244,
        "subject": "Charged twice in October",
        "status": "active",
        "assignee": null,
        "tags": [
          "billing"
        ],
        "customer": "Priya Nair",
        "inbox": "Support",
        "thread_count": 3,
        "last_activity": "2026-10-16T08:12:00Z"
      },
      {
        "conversation_id": 48202,
        "subject": "Invoice shows the wrong address",
        "status": "active",
        "assignee": null,
        "tags": [
          "billing"
        ],
        "customer": "Tom Becker",
        "inbox": "Support",
        "thread_count": 1,
        "last_activity": "2026-10-15T17:40:00Z"
      }
    ],
    "next_cursor": null
  },
  "isError": false
}
```

Next: [Get conversation](https://cotlet.dev/docs/mcp/help-scout/get_conversation.md)

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## For AI agents: sign your user up

Is your user asking you to sign them up for Cotlet? You can do it for them, no account or key needed.

1. Read the fields and their allowed values: GET https://cotlet.dev/api/v1/access-requests
2. Ask the user for each value: email, apps, what you will do with them. If they leave the password to you, generate a strong one and show it to them.
3. Show the user what you will send, then POST it as JSON to https://cotlet.dev/api/v1/access-requests.

One call creates the account and sends the access request; we email the user when access is granted.