AI Assistants Capabilities

What assistants can do

Part of the AI assistants guide.

An assistant works through tools: small, named actions Kinboard offers it. This page lists every one, grouped by area. You never call a tool yourself; you ask in your own words, and the assistant picks the tools. Each tool needs one permission (scope), which you grant on the consent page. An assistant without it is told which permission is missing, and nothing happens. The permissions themselves are explained in Permissions and safety.

Kinboard also tells the assistant which tools only read, which add, which change or remove something, and which reach outside Kinboard (Google, CalDAV, Bring! or Home Assistant). What the assistant does with that, such as asking you before it runs one, depends on the assistant.

In the tables, Reads, Adds and Changes say which kind each tool is. Outside Kinboard means the change is also written to another service.

Text that comes from your family's data (note text, event titles, recipe steps, names, message text) is handed to the assistant as data, and every tool that returns it tells the assistant never to follow it as instructions. See Prompt injection.

Family and people

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
get_family_summary	Today's family context: the next event, the upcoming birthday, due tasks, meals, attention hints and more, with the family's local date	family:read	Reads
get_next_birthday	The next family birthday, its date and how many days away it is, in the family's time zone	family:read	Reads
list_people	The people in the family with their ids, so a task, an event or a birthday can be assigned to someone by name	family:read	Reads

"What's going on today?" · "Was steht heute an?"

"When is the next birthday?" · "Wer hat als Nächstes Geburtstag?"

Calendar

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
list_calendar_events	Events overlapping a date and time range	family:read	Reads
search_calendar_events	Find appointments by name: the title, place or description contains the words, ignoring case	family:read	Reads. From today to 365 days ahead unless a range is given (at most 370 days); at most 100 events, earliest first
list_writable_calendars	The calendars an event can be added to, including connected Google and CalDAV calendars	family:read	Reads. An event is always created on a calendar picked from this list
create_calendar_event	Add a timed or all-day event, optionally for someone	calendar:write	Adds, outside Kinboard: written through to Google or CalDAV when the calendar is connected; the assistant is told to report a sync failure
update_calendar_event	Change an event's title, time, all-day dates, place, description or who it is for	calendar:write	Changes, outside Kinboard. The previous values are overwritten, in Kinboard and in Google or CalDAV, and cannot be restored. One occurrence of a repeating CalDAV event can't be edited
delete_calendar_event	Delete an event, including from Google or CalDAV	calendar:write	Changes, outside Kinboard. Cannot be undone: calendar events have no recycle bin. If the provider refuses, the event is kept. One occurrence of a repeating CalDAV event can't be deleted

"What's on the calendar tomorrow?" · "Was steht morgen im Kalender?"

"When is the dentist?" · "Wann ist der Zahnarzttermin?"

"Put football training for Enno on Thursday from 5 to 6.30 pm." · "Trag Enno für Donnerstag 17 bis 18:30 Uhr Fußballtraining ein."

"Move the parents' evening to 7 pm." · "Verschieb den Elternabend auf 19 Uhr."

Who an event is for is kept with the event in Google, so the next sync keeps it. On a Google calendar that has its own person, or whose mapping rules match the event, clearing it gives the event that person again at the next sync; a CalDAV calendar's next sync assigns it from the calendar's own settings. See Calendar.

School timetable

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
get_school_timetable	The children's timetable: lessons per weekday with times, subject and room. For a given date: who has school and which lessons	family:read	Reads. During school holidays (entered under Settings → Holidays, synced from OpenHolidays, from a calendar marked as holidays, or a public holiday in your region outside the US) and at weekends it says there is no school, and why. Can be narrowed to one child

"Does anyone have school on Monday?" · "Hat am Montag jemand Schule?"

"What does Mia have third period on Wednesday?" · "Was hat Mia am Mittwoch in der dritten Stunde?"

Tasks

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
list_tasks	The active tasks, with whether they're done and when they're due	family:read	Reads
create_task	Add a task. Optionally for someone, with a due date, repeating (once, daily, weekly, every other week, monthly, or on picked weekdays), with a priority (high, medium, low), an icon and points (0 to 10,000)	tasks:write	Adds. The assistant is told to ask rather than invent a due date, an assignee or a repetition
complete_task	Mark a task done. A repeating task is done for today, in the family's time zone, and comes due again on its next day	tasks:write	Changes. A child's task with points awards them, just as ticking it off on a screen does
reopen_task	Mark a one-off task not done again	tasks:write	Changes. Repeating tasks can't be reopened; Kinboard has no undo for a day already marked done
update_task	Change a task's title, due date, assignee, repetition, priority, icon or points	tasks:write	Changes. A changed field's previous value is not kept
delete_task	Delete a task	tasks:write	Changes. Goes to the recycle bin; restore_task or Settings → Recycle bin brings it back

"Add 'take the bins out' for Enno, every Tuesday, 5 points." · "Leg für Enno 'Mülltonnen rausstellen' an, jeden Dienstag, 5 Punkte."

"Tick off vacuuming." · "Hak Staubsaugen ab."

Points are awarded only when a task is assigned to a child. On a grown-up's task they're stored but never awarded. See Tasks.

Shopping list

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
list_shopping_items	The shopping list	family:read	Reads
add_shopping_item	Add an item	shopping:write	Adds, outside Kinboard when Bring! sync is on
check_shopping_item	Mark an item bought	shopping:write	Changes
uncheck_shopping_item	Mark an item not bought	shopping:write	Changes
rename_shopping_item	Change an item's name	shopping:write	Changes. The previous name is not kept
delete_shopping_item	Delete an item	shopping:write	Changes. Permanent: the shopping list has no recycle bin

"Put milk and butter on the shopping list." · "Schreib Milch und Butter auf die Einkaufsliste."

"What do we still need to buy?" · "Was müssen wir noch einkaufen?"

Notes

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
list_notes	The 100 newest notes	notes:read	Reads
create_note	Add a note	notes:write	Adds
update_note	Change a note's text, or pin or unpin it	notes:write	Changes. The previous text is not kept
delete_note	Delete a note	notes:write	Changes. Goes to the recycle bin; restore_note brings it back

"Make a note: the plumber comes on Friday at 8." · "Notier: Der Klempner kommt Freitag um 8."

Meal plan and recipes

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
get_meal_plan	Planned meals in a date range, at most 31 days: each with its date, slot (breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack) and a recipe or a free-text note	family:read	Reads
add_meal	Add a meal to a date and slot: one of the family's recipes, or a free-text note of up to 200 characters	meals:write	Adds. Adds to the slot rather than replacing what's there; a slot can hold more than one meal
remove_meal	Remove a meal plan entry	meals:write	Changes. Goes to the recycle bin; restore_meal brings it back
search_recipes	Find the family's own saved recipes by title or tag; with neither, favourites first	family:read	Reads. At most 50 results. Never searches the web
get_recipe	One recipe: servings, times, tags, ingredients and the steps	family:read	Reads
add_recipe_to_shopping_list	Put a recipe's ingredients on the shopping list, all of them or only the ones picked, scaled to the servings asked for (up to 50)	shopping:write	Adds, outside Kinboard when Bring! sync is on, and Kinboard can't take them back off the Bring! list. Each call adds the items again, even if they are already on the list

"Put the ingredients for the lasagne recipe on the shopping list." · "Pack die Zutaten vom Lasagne-Rezept auf die Einkaufsliste."

"…but only for 6 people, and we've got the onions." · "…aber für 6 Personen, und Zwiebeln haben wir."

"Plan spaghetti bolognese for dinner on Saturday." · "Plan für Samstagabend Spaghetti Bolognese ein."

See Recipes & meal planning.

Kitchen timers

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
list_timers	The timers on the screens, running or ringing, with the time left, the one due soonest first	family:read	Reads
start_timer	Start a timer from 1 second to 24 hours, with an optional label of up to 60 characters	timers:write	Adds. It counts down and rings on the screens that show the timers card, and notifies phones, like one set on the panel. Each call starts a new timer. At most 10 running or ringing at once; one that has rung unanswered for over an hour no longer counts
stop_timer	Stop a timer and take it off the screens	timers:write	Changes. Its phone notification is cancelled. A stopped timer can't be resumed

"Set a timer for the pasta, 9 minutes." · "Setz einen Timer für die Nudeln, 9 Minuten."

"How long is left on the oven?" · "Wie lange läuft der Ofen-Timer noch?"

See Timers.

Birthdays

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
list_birthdays	The family's birthdays, the next one first, with the day each next falls on, how many days away it is and, when the birth year is known, the age the person turns	family:read	Reads. 29 February is celebrated on 1 March in other years
add_birthday	Add a birthday: a name, the date (the year may be left out, and then no age is shown), optionally the family member it belongs to, and how many days ahead to remind (0 to 60, 7 if not said)	birthdays:write	Adds. A birth year of this year or a future date is refused; the assistant is told never to invent a year
update_birthday	Change a birthday's name, date, family member or reminder	birthdays:write	Changes. The previous value is not kept
delete_birthday	Delete a birthday	birthdays:write	Changes. Goes to the recycle bin; restore_birthday brings it back

"Grandma's birthday is 14 March, remind us two weeks before." · "Omas Geburtstag ist am 14. März, erinner uns zwei Wochen vorher."

"How old will Mia be?" · "Wie alt wird Mia?"

See Birthdays.

Countdowns

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
list_countdowns	The countdowns on the countdown widget, the soonest first, with how many days are left	family:read	Reads. Passed dates are not listed
add_countdown	Add a countdown: a title of up to 60 characters, a date (today or later) and one of the widget's seven icons (🎉 🎄 🎂 🏖️ 🎒 🚗 ⭐)	calendar:write	Adds. Two added at the same moment are both kept, but a screen saving an out-of-date list can still drop one. It disappears by itself once the date has passed
delete_countdown	Take a countdown off the widget	calendar:write	Changes. Permanent: countdowns have no recycle bin

"Add a countdown to the summer holidays on 23 July." · "Mach einen Countdown bis zu den Sommerferien am 23. Juli."

"How many days until we go on holiday?" · "Wie viele Tage noch bis zum Urlaub?"

Pocket money

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
list_pocket_money	Each child's pocket money: balance, what they've saved in total, their allowance, and their saving goals with how far along each one is	family:read	Reads. Only children with a pocket money account
book_pocket_money	Ask to add money to a child's pocket money or take some out: 0.01 to 500 at a time, at most two decimals, with an optional note of up to 100 characters	pocket_money:write	Adds, after confirmation. Nothing is booked until a family member allows it on a Kinboard screen with the settings PIN. A withdrawal larger than the balance is refused. Once booked, a mistake needs a booking the other way
get_action_status	What became of a booking (or a home action) that waited for confirmation	pocket_money:write or home:control	Reads. Only this connection's own requests

"Give Enno €5 pocket money for mowing the lawn." · "Gib Enno 5 € Taschengeld fürs Rasenmähen."

"How much has Mia saved for her bike?" · "Wie viel hat Mia schon für ihr Fahrrad gespart?"

How the confirmation looks on the screens: Permissions and safety. See also Pocket Money.

Recycle bin

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
list_deleted_items	What's in the recycle bin that an assistant can bring back: deleted tasks, notes, meal plan entries and birthdays, newest first	family:read	Reads. At most 50
restore_task	Bring a deleted task back, exactly as it was	tasks:write	Adds
restore_note	Bring a deleted note back	notes:write	Adds
restore_meal	Bring a deleted meal plan entry back	meals:write	Adds
restore_birthday	Bring a deleted birthday back	birthdays:write	Adds

An assistant can never empty the bin or erase anything in it for good. The bin empties itself after the family's retention period, as it always does.

"Undo that, bring the note back." · "Mach das rückgängig, hol die Notiz zurück."

See Recycle bin.

Messages on the screens and the attention panel

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
send_message	Put a message of up to 200 characters on every Kinboard screen and push it to every phone, marked via the assistant's name	announcements:write	Adds. At most 5 per 10 minutes per connection. It interrupts whoever is looking at a screen
list_screen_messages	The 20 newest messages on the screens, whether someone has seen each, and which assistant sent one	family:read	Reads
acknowledge_message	Mark a message as seen, like tapping "Got it", so it leaves every screen	announcements:write	Changes. Cannot be undone. If someone already tapped it, theirs stands
list_attention_items	The hints the attention panel is showing now ("Rain likely today"), most important first, in the family's language	family:read	Reads. A hint from Home Assistant, such as doors still open at bedtime, only says how many unless the connection also has home:read
dismiss_attention_item	Take a hint off the panel, as tapping OK on it does	tasks:write	Changes. The screens drop it within a few minutes. It comes back if the situation arises again

"Tell everyone dinner is ready." · "Sag allen, dass das Essen fertig ist."

"Any new messages on the board?" · "Gibt es neue Nachrichten auf dem Board?"

See Messages.

Energy

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
get_solar_production	Current solar power and today's solar energy. Today's energy is the change since midnight in the family's time zone, as on the Energy page; total is the counter's raw state	energy:read	Reads. Only the sensors chosen under Settings → Energy
get_energy_status	The whole energy picture: solar, battery, grid and home power right now, today's energy in and out (the change since local midnight, with the raw counter as total), and the battery's charge	energy:read	Reads. Only the sensors chosen under Settings → Energy

"Today" is the change since midnight in the family's time zone, taken from Home Assistant's statistics: the figure the Energy page shows. Each reading also carries the counter's raw state as total, and the assistant is told never to report that as today's figure. If Home Assistant has no statistics for a sensor, today's figure is left empty with a reason rather than guessed. See Troubleshooting.

"How much did the panels make today?" · "Wie viel hat die Solaranlage heute erzeugt?"

"Is the house battery full?" · "Ist der Hausakku voll?"

Home

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
list_home_devices	The devices in the family's catalogue, with their name, room, state and the actions each is allowed, each marked sensitive or not	home:read	Reads. Devices outside the catalogue are not visible
get_device_state	One catalogue device's state and allowed actions	home:read	Reads. A device outside the catalogue is reported as not found
control_device	Run an allowed action on a catalogue device: turn a light on and dim it, set a thermostat, pause the music, close a blind	home:control	Changes, outside Kinboard: it acts on the real home and can't be undone. Most actions run immediately; a sensitive one (a lock, an alarm, a garage door, a scene, a script…) waits for a family member to allow it with the settings PIN. At most 2 waiting and 5 per 10 minutes per connection
get_action_status	Whether a sensitive action that waited for confirmation was allowed, denied or expired, and whether it ran	home:control or pocket_money:write	Reads. Only done means it ran. Listed under Pocket money too

"Turn the living room lights down to 30 per cent." · "Dimm das Wohnzimmerlicht auf 30 Prozent."

"Set the bathroom to 22 degrees." · "Stell das Bad auf 22 Grad."

"Lock the front door." · "Schließ die Haustür ab." (waits for someone to allow it on a screen)

Which actions run immediately and which wait: Permissions and safety. A device the assistant can't find: Troubleshooting.

Vehicles

Tool	What it does	Permission	Notes
list_vehicles	Each car's charge level, range and charging status, plus temperature, locks, doors, windows and odometer where the car reports them: the same readings as the Vehicles page	vehicles:read	Reads, from Home Assistant; values may be a few minutes old. Never the car's location

"What's the Tesla's charge level?" · "Wie ist der Ladestand vom Tesla?"

"Is the car plugged in?" · "Hängt das Auto am Ladekabel?"

See Vehicles.

All tools by permission

Permission	Tools
family:read	get_family_summary, get_next_birthday, list_calendar_events, search_calendar_events, list_writable_calendars, list_people, get_school_timetable, list_tasks, list_shopping_items, get_meal_plan, search_recipes, get_recipe, list_timers, list_birthdays, list_countdowns, list_pocket_money, list_deleted_items, list_screen_messages, list_attention_items
notes:read	list_notes
calendar:write	create_calendar_event, update_calendar_event, delete_calendar_event, add_countdown, delete_countdown
tasks:write	create_task, complete_task, reopen_task, update_task, delete_task, restore_task, dismiss_attention_item
shopping:write	add_shopping_item, check_shopping_item, uncheck_shopping_item, rename_shopping_item, delete_shopping_item, add_recipe_to_shopping_list
notes:write	create_note, update_note, delete_note, restore_note
meals:write	add_meal, remove_meal, restore_meal
announcements:write	send_message, acknowledge_message
energy:read	get_solar_production, get_energy_status
home:read	list_home_devices, get_device_state
home:control	control_device, get_action_status
vehicles:read	list_vehicles
timers:write	start_timer, stop_timer
birthdays:write	add_birthday, update_birthday, delete_birthday, restore_birthday
pocket_money:write	book_pocket_money, get_action_status

61 tools in all.