diff --git a/go/seatlist/bootstrap/mesh-watchdogs.json b/go/seatlist/bootstrap/mesh-watchdogs.json
index 35a4341..1efe7a8 100644
--- a/go/seatlist/bootstrap/mesh-watchdogs.json
+++ b/go/seatlist/bootstrap/mesh-watchdogs.json
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     },
     {
       "name": "presence",
-      "description": "Every machine and tool runner the watchman sees connected, with its last word, and those it says silent; a machine that said it sleeps is shown as sleeping, not silent.",
+      "description": "Every machine and tool runner the watchman sees connected, with its last word, and those it says silent; a machine that said it sleeps is shown as sleeping, not silent. With machine, that machine's presence alone: whether the watchman hears it and since when.",
       "input": {
         "properties": {
           "machine": {
@@ -55,7 +55,54 @@
       },
       "answer": {
         "type": "object",
-        "description": "who is connected and who is silent"
+        "description": "with machine, that machine: online and since; without, every key of the state presence",
+        "properties": {
+          "machine": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "the machine asked, with machine"
+          },
+          "online": {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "description": "with machine: whether the watchman hears the machine now; false for a machine it holds no word of"
+          },
+          "since": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "with machine: when its presence last changed, RFC 3339; empty for a machine the watchman holds no word of"
+          },
+          "state": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "without machine: the state read, presence"
+          },
+          "holds": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "description": "without machine: how many keys the state holds"
+          },
+          "keys": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "description": "without machine: each key of the state presence, <node> or part.<part>.<instance>, with its value",
+            "items": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "properties": {
+                "key": {
+                  "type": "string",
+                  "description": "<node> or part.<part>.<instance>"
+                },
+                "value": {
+                  "type": "object",
+                  "description": "the key's value, online and its layout's version"
+                },
+                "revision": {
+                  "type": "integer",
+                  "description": "the key's revision"
+                }
+              },
+              "required": [
+                "key",
+                "value"
+              ]
+            }
+          }
+        }
       }
     },
     {
diff --git a/go/seatlist/bootstrap/operator-channel.json b/go/seatlist/bootstrap/operator-channel.json
index 3f33532..2043c1d 100644
--- a/go/seatlist/bootstrap/operator-channel.json
+++ b/go/seatlist/bootstrap/operator-channel.json
@@ -116,15 +116,65 @@
     },
     {
       "name": "asks",
-      "description": "The asks the router holds: open first, then the last month's, each with how it ended.",
+      "description": "The asks the router holds: open first, then the last month's, each with how it ended. With no argument only the open asks, within its default bound; key for one ask, state, since and bound narrow or widen it, and the answer says what it cut.",
       "input": {
         "type": "object",
-        "properties": {},
-        "description": "no arguments"
+        "properties": {
+          "key": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "one ask, by its key (<asker>.<id>); none for the open asks"
+          },
+          "state": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "open (open and held), ended or all; none is open when no key or since is given, else all"
+          },
+          "since": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "only the asks opened at or after this time, RFC 3339"
+          },
+          "bound": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "description": "the most bytes of the asks in the answer; said when it cuts the answer short"
+          }
+        }
       },
       "answer": {
         "type": "object",
-        "description": "the asks"
+        "description": "the asks, open first",
+        "properties": {
+          "asks": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "description": "each ask the router holds, as its state asks holds it",
+            "items": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "properties": {
+                "key": {
+                  "type": "string",
+                  "description": "<asker>.<id>"
+                },
+                "state": {
+                  "type": "string",
+                  "description": "how the ask stands: open, held, or how it ended (answered, expired, cancelled)"
+                }
+              },
+              "required": [
+                "key",
+                "state"
+              ]
+            }
+          },
+          "cut": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "what the bound cut, and how to ask for more; empty when nothing was cut"
+          },
+          "matched": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "description": "how many asks the arguments matched"
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "asks"
+        ]
       }
     }
   ],
diff --git a/go/seatlist/seatlisttest/seats/mesh-watchdogs.json b/go/seatlist/seatlisttest/seats/mesh-watchdogs.json
index 35a4341..1efe7a8 100644
--- a/go/seatlist/seatlisttest/seats/mesh-watchdogs.json
+++ b/go/seatlist/seatlisttest/seats/mesh-watchdogs.json
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     },
     {
       "name": "presence",
-      "description": "Every machine and tool runner the watchman sees connected, with its last word, and those it says silent; a machine that said it sleeps is shown as sleeping, not silent.",
+      "description": "Every machine and tool runner the watchman sees connected, with its last word, and those it says silent; a machine that said it sleeps is shown as sleeping, not silent. With machine, that machine's presence alone: whether the watchman hears it and since when.",
       "input": {
         "properties": {
           "machine": {
@@ -55,7 +55,54 @@
       },
       "answer": {
         "type": "object",
-        "description": "who is connected and who is silent"
+        "description": "with machine, that machine: online and since; without, every key of the state presence",
+        "properties": {
+          "machine": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "the machine asked, with machine"
+          },
+          "online": {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "description": "with machine: whether the watchman hears the machine now; false for a machine it holds no word of"
+          },
+          "since": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "with machine: when its presence last changed, RFC 3339; empty for a machine the watchman holds no word of"
+          },
+          "state": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "without machine: the state read, presence"
+          },
+          "holds": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "description": "without machine: how many keys the state holds"
+          },
+          "keys": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "description": "without machine: each key of the state presence, <node> or part.<part>.<instance>, with its value",
+            "items": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "properties": {
+                "key": {
+                  "type": "string",
+                  "description": "<node> or part.<part>.<instance>"
+                },
+                "value": {
+                  "type": "object",
+                  "description": "the key's value, online and its layout's version"
+                },
+                "revision": {
+                  "type": "integer",
+                  "description": "the key's revision"
+                }
+              },
+              "required": [
+                "key",
+                "value"
+              ]
+            }
+          }
+        }
       }
     },
     {
diff --git a/go/seatlist/seatlisttest/seats/operator-channel.json b/go/seatlist/seatlisttest/seats/operator-channel.json
index 3f33532..2043c1d 100644
--- a/go/seatlist/seatlisttest/seats/operator-channel.json
+++ b/go/seatlist/seatlisttest/seats/operator-channel.json
@@ -116,15 +116,65 @@
     },
     {
       "name": "asks",
-      "description": "The asks the router holds: open first, then the last month's, each with how it ended.",
+      "description": "The asks the router holds: open first, then the last month's, each with how it ended. With no argument only the open asks, within its default bound; key for one ask, state, since and bound narrow or widen it, and the answer says what it cut.",
       "input": {
         "type": "object",
-        "properties": {},
-        "description": "no arguments"
+        "properties": {
+          "key": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "one ask, by its key (<asker>.<id>); none for the open asks"
+          },
+          "state": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "open (open and held), ended or all; none is open when no key or since is given, else all"
+          },
+          "since": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "only the asks opened at or after this time, RFC 3339"
+          },
+          "bound": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "description": "the most bytes of the asks in the answer; said when it cuts the answer short"
+          }
+        }
       },
       "answer": {
         "type": "object",
-        "description": "the asks"
+        "description": "the asks, open first",
+        "properties": {
+          "asks": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "description": "each ask the router holds, as its state asks holds it",
+            "items": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "properties": {
+                "key": {
+                  "type": "string",
+                  "description": "<asker>.<id>"
+                },
+                "state": {
+                  "type": "string",
+                  "description": "how the ask stands: open, held, or how it ended (answered, expired, cancelled)"
+                }
+              },
+              "required": [
+                "key",
+                "state"
+              ]
+            }
+          },
+          "cut": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "what the bound cut, and how to ask for more; empty when nothing was cut"
+          },
+          "matched": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "description": "how many asks the arguments matched"
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "asks"
+        ]
       }
     }
   ],
diff --git a/go/testdata/beside/CAPTURED b/go/testdata/beside/CAPTURED
index 7a281f0..1d2bfe7 100644
--- a/go/testdata/beside/CAPTURED
+++ b/go/testdata/beside/CAPTURED
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ repositories; before that it was mesh-controller's copy, which still held two mo
 
 mesh-catalog  b5dbfbb784507e211372a7c9640d91f7d6dadd84  modules/*/module.json, modules/*/files/**, modules/*/templates/**, predefined.json
 mesh-contracts 70fe186d7f5743e61f3ce2bbd97a8bfabc5b596e  the seat files of the eight bootstrapped seats held there (seats/, health-and-repair/seats/, operator-and-conversation/seats/), as seat.json.captured
+mesh-contracts bb16f99e2d5e854bb8f6552ce4b256e7c10e8ea0  of those, health-and-repair/seats/mesh-watchdogs and operator-and-conversation/seats/operator-channel (issue 1966)
 mesh-delivery 932e7ccf025513ec4fce38a534c2c38defbc6701  contracts/seats/mesh-catalog and mesh-delivery-checker, as seat.json.captured (go/seatlist's bootstrap test)
 mesh-host     cdcba9ca73755854d21e4e657d7e46c32b9b5265  internal/apply/placement_guard.go
 
diff --git a/go/testdata/beside/mesh-contracts/health-and-repair/seats/mesh-watchdogs/seat.json.captured b/go/testdata/beside/mesh-contracts/health-and-repair/seats/mesh-watchdogs/seat.json.captured
index 35a4341..1efe7a8 100644
--- a/go/testdata/beside/mesh-contracts/health-and-repair/seats/mesh-watchdogs/seat.json.captured
+++ b/go/testdata/beside/mesh-contracts/health-and-repair/seats/mesh-watchdogs/seat.json.captured
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     },
     {
       "name": "presence",
-      "description": "Every machine and tool runner the watchman sees connected, with its last word, and those it says silent; a machine that said it sleeps is shown as sleeping, not silent.",
+      "description": "Every machine and tool runner the watchman sees connected, with its last word, and those it says silent; a machine that said it sleeps is shown as sleeping, not silent. With machine, that machine's presence alone: whether the watchman hears it and since when.",
       "input": {
         "properties": {
           "machine": {
@@ -55,7 +55,54 @@
       },
       "answer": {
         "type": "object",
-        "description": "who is connected and who is silent"
+        "description": "with machine, that machine: online and since; without, every key of the state presence",
+        "properties": {
+          "machine": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "the machine asked, with machine"
+          },
+          "online": {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "description": "with machine: whether the watchman hears the machine now; false for a machine it holds no word of"
+          },
+          "since": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "with machine: when its presence last changed, RFC 3339; empty for a machine the watchman holds no word of"
+          },
+          "state": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "without machine: the state read, presence"
+          },
+          "holds": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "description": "without machine: how many keys the state holds"
+          },
+          "keys": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "description": "without machine: each key of the state presence, <node> or part.<part>.<instance>, with its value",
+            "items": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "properties": {
+                "key": {
+                  "type": "string",
+                  "description": "<node> or part.<part>.<instance>"
+                },
+                "value": {
+                  "type": "object",
+                  "description": "the key's value, online and its layout's version"
+                },
+                "revision": {
+                  "type": "integer",
+                  "description": "the key's revision"
+                }
+              },
+              "required": [
+                "key",
+                "value"
+              ]
+            }
+          }
+        }
       }
     },
     {
diff --git a/go/testdata/beside/mesh-contracts/operator-and-conversation/seats/operator-channel/seat.json.captured b/go/testdata/beside/mesh-contracts/operator-and-conversation/seats/operator-channel/seat.json.captured
index 3f33532..2043c1d 100644
--- a/go/testdata/beside/mesh-contracts/operator-and-conversation/seats/operator-channel/seat.json.captured
+++ b/go/testdata/beside/mesh-contracts/operator-and-conversation/seats/operator-channel/seat.json.captured
@@ -116,15 +116,65 @@
     },
     {
       "name": "asks",
-      "description": "The asks the router holds: open first, then the last month's, each with how it ended.",
+      "description": "The asks the router holds: open first, then the last month's, each with how it ended. With no argument only the open asks, within its default bound; key for one ask, state, since and bound narrow or widen it, and the answer says what it cut.",
       "input": {
         "type": "object",
-        "properties": {},
-        "description": "no arguments"
+        "properties": {
+          "key": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "one ask, by its key (<asker>.<id>); none for the open asks"
+          },
+          "state": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "open (open and held), ended or all; none is open when no key or since is given, else all"
+          },
+          "since": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "only the asks opened at or after this time, RFC 3339"
+          },
+          "bound": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "description": "the most bytes of the asks in the answer; said when it cuts the answer short"
+          }
+        }
       },
       "answer": {
         "type": "object",
-        "description": "the asks"
+        "description": "the asks, open first",
+        "properties": {
+          "asks": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "description": "each ask the router holds, as its state asks holds it",
+            "items": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "properties": {
+                "key": {
+                  "type": "string",
+                  "description": "<asker>.<id>"
+                },
+                "state": {
+                  "type": "string",
+                  "description": "how the ask stands: open, held, or how it ended (answered, expired, cancelled)"
+                }
+              },
+              "required": [
+                "key",
+                "state"
+              ]
+            }
+          },
+          "cut": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "what the bound cut, and how to ask for more; empty when nothing was cut"
+          },
+          "matched": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "description": "how many asks the arguments matched"
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "asks"
+        ]
       }
     }
   ],