diff --git a/apps/web/lib/connector.test.ts b/apps/web/lib/connector.test.ts
index e597098e..5b634bd9 100644
--- a/apps/web/lib/connector.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/lib/connector.test.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { createPluckServer } from "@pluck/mcp-server";
 import { twoUsers } from "@pluck/db/testing";
 import { expect, test } from "vitest";
 import { connectorFor } from "./connector";
-import { addTag, newList, pluckAny, readItem, readList, setListVisibility, tagsOf, updateMe } from "./library";
+import { addTag, newList, pluckAny, readItem, readList, setListVisibility, tagIdsFor, tagsOf, updateMe } from "./library";
 
 const FIX = "http://127.0.0.1:4180";
 const ALL = ["library:read", "library:write"];
@@ -71,6 +71,18 @@ test("save_item checks the tags and the list first: an unknown one saves nothing
   expect((await call("list_items", { status: "inbox" })).items).toHaveLength(before);
 });
 
+test("save_item reads tags as REST does: ids or names, and an unknown one is refused with the same nearest Tags", async () => {
+  const { a } = await twoUsers();
+  const { call } = await connect(a);
+  const { tag } = await addTag(a, "Reading");
+  const byName = await call("save_item", { text: "Tagged by name", kind: "note", tagIds: ["reading"] });
+  expect(byName.saved[0].tags).toEqual(["Reading"]);
+  const refused = await call("save_item", { text: "Must not land", kind: "note", tagIds: ["Readng"] });
+  expect(refused.error).toMatchObject({ code: "unknown_tags", details: { unknown: ["Readng"], nearest: [{ id: tag.id, name: "Reading" }] } });
+  await expect(tagIdsFor(a, ["Readng"])).rejects.toMatchObject(refused.error);
+  expect((await call("list_items", { status: "inbox" })).items).toHaveLength(1);
+});
+
 test("an error that is not one of ours stays on our side: logged, and the AI tool gets a plain internal error", async () => {
   const { a } = await twoUsers();
   const seen: string[] = [];
@@ -161,6 +173,18 @@ test("create_list is private with AI notes; update_list changes everything but t
   expect((await call("list_lists")).lists.map((l: { id: string }) => l.id)).toEqual([list.id]);
 });
 
+test("the connector has no way to make a list public, even when the person could", async () => {
+  const { a } = await twoUsers();
+  await updateMe(a, { handle: `ai-${Date.now().toString(36)}` });
+  const list = await newList(a, { name: "Mine" });
+  await setListVisibility(a, list.id, "public");
+  const lib = connectorFor(a);
+  expect(Object.keys(lib).filter((k) => /visib|public|share/i.test(k))).toEqual([]);
+  // A caller that ignores the types still cannot pass "public" through.
+  await (lib.makePrivate as (...args: unknown[]) => Promise<void>)(list.id, "public");
+  expect((await readList(a, list.id)).list.visibility).toBe("private");
+});
+
 test("another person's list is not found, and nothing is changed", async () => {
   const { a, b } = await twoUsers();
   const { call } = await connect(a);
diff --git a/apps/web/lib/connector.ts b/apps/web/lib/connector.ts
index bb07a5fb..6d9454eb 100644
--- a/apps/web/lib/connector.ts
+++ b/apps/web/lib/connector.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import type { PluckLibrary } from "@pluck/mcp-server";
 import {
   addItems, addTag, batch, browse, deleteItem, digest, editEntry, editList, highlightsOf, membershipsOf, newList, pluckAny, readItem, readList,
-  readText, removeItem, reorder, search, setListVisibility, tagsOf, listsOf,
+  readText, removeItem, reorder, search, setListVisibility, tagIdsFor, tagsOf, listsOf,
 } from "./library";
 
 type Defer = (task: () => Promise<void>) => void;
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export function connectorFor(userId: string, { defer }: { defer?: Defer } = {}):
     pluck: (body) => pluckAny(userId, body, { defer }),
     batch: (body) => batch(userId, body, { by }),
     tags: () => tagsOf(userId),
+    tagIdsFor: (refs) => tagIdsFor(userId, refs),
     createTag: (name) => addTag(userId, name, { by }),
     lists: () => listsOf(userId),
     list: (id) => readList(userId, id),
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ export function connectorFor(userId: string, { defer }: { defer?: Defer } = {}):
     removeFromList: (id, itemId) => removeItem(userId, id, itemId),
     editEntry: (id, itemId, edit) => editEntry(userId, id, itemId, edit, { by }),
     reorder: (id, itemIds) => reorder(userId, id, itemIds),
-    setVisibility: async (id, visibility) => void (await setListVisibility(userId, id, visibility)),
+    makePrivate: async (id) => void (await setListVisibility(userId, id, "private")),
     digest: (limit) => digest(userId, { limit }),
     deleteItem: (id) => deleteItem(userId, id),
   };
diff --git a/docs/mcp.md b/docs/mcp.md
index a45a3576..0036930f 100644
--- a/docs/mcp.md
+++ b/docs/mcp.md
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ A tool is only listed when the token carries its scope.
 | `search_items` | Text search; `query, kinds[], tagIds[], listId, status, since, limit (max 25), cursor` |
 | `list_items` | Browse by status; `status, kinds[], sort (newest, untouched), limit (max 25), cursor` |
 | `get_item` | One item with its facts, its kept text (paged at about 20k tokens, follow `textCursor`), note, highlights and lists |
-| `save_item` | Pluck a URL, every URL in a block of text, or a note, todo or thing; `url or text, kind, title, note, tagIds[], listId, dueAt`. Saving a link twice brings it back to the Inbox. Unknown `tagIds` or `listId` refuse the call before anything is saved |
+| `save_item` | Pluck a URL, every URL in a block of text, or a note, todo or thing; `url or text, kind, title, note, tagIds[], listId, dueAt`. Saving a link twice brings it back to the Inbox. `tagIds` take existing tag ids or names; unknown tags (refused with the nearest existing ones) or an unknown `listId` refuse the call before anything is saved |
 | `batch_update` | One change over up to 100 items: status, kind, due date, note, add or remove tags. Unknown tags are refused with the nearest existing ones; tags are never created here |
 | `list_tags` | Tags with counts, and whether an AI made them; paged with `cursor` |
 | `create_tag` | A new tag, only after the person agreed. Marked as made by AI |
diff --git a/packages/mcp/src/library.ts b/packages/mcp/src/library.ts
index df9f4f06..3c35023d 100644
--- a/packages/mcp/src/library.ts
+++ b/packages/mcp/src/library.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ export interface PluckLibrary {
   pluck(body: CreateItemBody): Promise<PluckResponse>;
   batch(body: BatchBody): Promise<{ matched: number; updated: number }>;
   tags(): Promise<Tag[]>;
+  tagIdsFor(refs: string[]): Promise<string[]>; // ids or names of existing Tags; unknown ones throw unknown_tags with the nearest
   createTag(name: string): Promise<{ tag: Tag; created: boolean }>;
   lists(): Promise<List[]>;
   list(id: string): Promise<{ list: List; entries: ListEntry[] }>;
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ export interface PluckLibrary {
   removeFromList(id: string, itemId: string): Promise<void>;
   editEntry(id: string, itemId: string, edit: { note?: string | null; ticked?: boolean }): Promise<void>;
   reorder(id: string, itemIds: string[]): Promise<void>;
-  setVisibility(id: string, visibility: "private" | "public"): Promise<void>;
+  makePrivate(id: string): Promise<void>; // there is no way to make a List public here: only the person does that, in Pluck
   digest(limit: number): Promise<Digest>;
   deleteItem(id: string): Promise<void>;
 }
diff --git a/packages/mcp/src/server.ts b/packages/mcp/src/server.ts
index 209cd3a4..573d3d3b 100644
--- a/packages/mcp/src/server.ts
+++ b/packages/mcp/src/server.ts
@@ -177,27 +177,23 @@ export function createPluckServer(lib: PluckLibrary, { scopes, version = "1.0.0"
             kind: Kind.optional(),
             title: z.string().max(500).optional(),
             note: z.string().max(10_000).optional(),
-            tagIds: z.array(ObjectIdString).max(20).optional().describe("Existing tags only."),
+            tagIds: z.array(z.string().min(1).max(64)).max(20).optional().describe("Existing tag ids or names; unknown ones are refused with the nearest matches."),
             listId: ObjectIdString.optional(),
             dueAt: DueAt.optional(),
           })
           .refine((b) => (b.url === undefined) !== (b.text === undefined), { message: "Send url or text." }),
         annotations: WRITE, // a link twice is one item, but a note twice is two
       },
-      async ({ tagIds, listId, ...body }) => {
+      async ({ tagIds: tagRefs, listId, ...body }) => {
         // Check the tags and the list before anything is saved: an error after the pluck would leave the item made,
         // and an AI tool that retries would make it again.
         if (listId) await lib.list(listId);
-        if (tagIds?.length) {
-          const known = new Set((await lib.tags()).map((t) => t.id));
-          const unknown = tagIds.filter((t) => !known.has(t));
-          if (unknown.length) throw Object.assign(new Error("Use existing tags only: list_tags has them."), { code: "unknown_tags", details: { unknown } });
-        }
+        const tagIds = tagRefs?.length ? await lib.tagIdsFor(tagRefs) : [];
         const res = await lib.pluck({ ...body, source: "mcp" });
         const ids = res.results.map((r) => r.item.id);
-        if (ids.length && tagIds?.length) await lib.batch({ itemIds: ids, patch: { addTagIds: tagIds } });
+        if (ids.length && tagIds.length) await lib.batch({ itemIds: ids, patch: { addTagIds: tagIds } });
         if (ids.length && listId) await lib.addToList(listId, ids);
-        const items = tagIds?.length ? await Promise.all(ids.map((id) => lib.item(id))) : res.results.map((r) => r.item);
+        const items = tagIds.length ? await Promise.all(ids.map((id) => lib.item(id))) : res.results.map((r) => r.item);
         const n = await names();
         return { saved: items.map((item, i) => ({ ...card(item, n), created: res.results[i]!.created })), rejected: res.rejected };
       },
@@ -277,7 +273,7 @@ export function createPluckServer(lib: PluckLibrary, { scopes, version = "1.0.0"
         for (const a of add ?? []) await lib.addToList(id, [a.itemId], a.note);
         for (const e of entries ?? []) await lib.editEntry(id, e.itemId, { note: e.note, ticked: e.ticked });
         if (order) await lib.reorder(id, order);
-        if (visibility) await lib.setVisibility(id, visibility);
+        if (visibility) await lib.makePrivate(id);
         const { list } = await lib.list(id);
         return { list: listRow(list) };
       },