Google Sheets

38 tools. 24 can modify or destroy data without limits.

6 destructive tools with no built-in limits. Policy required.

Last updated:

24 can modify or destroy data
14 read-only
38 tools total
Read (14) Write / Execute (18) Destructive / Financial (6)

Destructive tools (GOOGLESHEETS_CLEAR_BASIC_FILTER, GOOGLESHEETS_CLEAR_VALUES, GOOGLESHEETS_DELETE_DIMENSION) permanently delete resources. There is no undo. An agent calling these in a retry loop causes irreversible damage.

Write operations (GOOGLESHEETS_ADD_SHEET, GOOGLESHEETS_APPEND_DIMENSION, GOOGLESHEETS_BATCH_UPDATE) modify state. Without rate limits, an agent can make hundreds of changes in seconds — faster than any human can review or revert.

Execute tools (GOOGLESHEETS_EXECUTE_SQL) trigger processes with side effects. Builds, notifications, workflows — all fired without throttling.

One command. Full control.

Intercept sits between your agent and Google Sheets. Every tool call checked against your policy before it executes — so your agent can do its job without breaking things.

npx -y @policylayer/intercept scan -- npx -y @google-sheets-mcp
Scans every tool. Generates a policy. Starts enforcing.
Works with Claude Code · Cursor · Claude Desktop · Windsurf · any MCP client
Deny destructive operations
GOOGLESHEETS_CLEAR_BASIC_FILTER:
  rules:
    - action: deny

Destructive tools should never be available to autonomous agents without human approval.

Rate limit write operations
GOOGLESHEETS_ADD_SHEET:
  rules:
    - rate_limit: 30/hour

Prevents bulk unintended modifications from agents caught in loops.

Cap read operations
GOOGLESHEETS_AGGREGATE_COLUMN_DATA:
  rules:
    - rate_limit: 60/minute

Controls API costs and prevents retry loops from exhausting upstream rate limits.

Can an AI agent delete data through the Google Sheets MCP server? +

Yes. The Google Sheets server exposes 6 destructive tools including GOOGLESHEETS_CLEAR_BASIC_FILTER, GOOGLESHEETS_CLEAR_VALUES, GOOGLESHEETS_DELETE_DIMENSION. These permanently remove resources with no undo. Intercept blocks destructive tools by default so they never reach the upstream server.

How do I prevent bulk modifications through Google Sheets? +

The Google Sheets server has 17 write tools including GOOGLESHEETS_ADD_SHEET, GOOGLESHEETS_APPEND_DIMENSION, GOOGLESHEETS_BATCH_UPDATE. Set rate limits in your policy file -- for example, rate_limit: 10/hour prevents an agent from making more than 10 modifications per hour. Intercept enforces this at the transport layer.

How many tools does the Google Sheets MCP server expose? +

38 tools across 4 categories: Destructive, Execute, Read, Write. 14 are read-only. 24 can modify, create, or delete data.

How do I add Intercept to my Google Sheets setup? +

One line change. Instead of running the Google Sheets server directly, prefix it with Intercept: intercept -c google-sheets.yaml -- npx -y @google-sheets-mcp. Download a pre-built policy from policylayer.com/policies/google-sheets and adjust the limits to match your use case.

Other MCP servers with similar tools.

Starter policies available for each. Same risk classification, same one-command setup.

policylayer/intercept

Control every MCP tool call
your agent makes.

Set budgets, approvals, and hard limits across MCP servers.

npx -y @policylayer/intercept init
Protect your agent in 30 seconds. Scans your MCP config and generates enforcement policies for every server.
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