clear_renders
Clears collected render data. Supports filtering by component name or by commit ID threshold. When no filter is given, clears all data. If multiple projects are active and no project is specified, the tool will ask you to disambiguate.
This record as markdown: /tools/0x1f320-why-did-you-render-mcp/clear-renders.md
What clear_renders does on Why Did You Render
AI agents call clear_renders to permanently remove resources in Why Did You Render, typically in cleanup and lifecycle workflows. It does its job in a single call, and there is no undo.
Why clear_renders is rated Critical
This tool irreversibly deletes performance monitoring data (render snapshots and metrics). While the data could theoretically be re-collected by re-running the application, the tool itself performs a destructive operation that cannot be undone. The high severity reflects that an agent could accidentally wipe all performance analysis history for a project, losing valuable diagnostic information.
From the tool's definition The tool "clears collected render data" with no mention of reversibility. The description states "clears all data" when no filter is given, indicating wholesale deletion of accumulated performance metrics.
Risk signalsBulk/mass operation — affects multiple targets
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs clear_renders safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Why Did You Render, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For clear_renders, this is the rule to start with:
clear_renders is removed from the agent's tool list entirely, so the agent never calls it. The rest of the server keeps working.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Why Did You Render, apply this rule, and every clear_renders call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about clear_renders
Clears collected render data. Supports filtering by component name or by commit ID threshold. When no filter is given, clears all data. If multiple projects are active and no project is specified, the tool will ask you to disambiguate. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the Why Did You Render MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.
Register the Why Did You Render MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for clear_renders: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Why Did You Render. Nothing to install.
clear_renders is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the clear_renders rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for clear_renders. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
clear_renders is provided by the Why Did You Render MCP server (0x1f320/why-did-you-render-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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