get_commits
Returns a list of React commit IDs that have recorded render data for a project. Use these IDs with get_renders_by_commit to inspect individual commits.
This record as markdown: /tools/0x1f320-why-did-you-render-mcp/get-commits.md
What get_commits does on Why Did You Render
AI agents call get_commits to retrieve information from Why Did You Render without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Why get_commits is rated Low
This tool retrieves historical commit metadata from a React performance monitoring system. It performs a simple query operation that lists existing data without modifying, deleting, executing code, or triggering external operations. The blast radius of misuse is minimal—an agent could only discover which commits have render data, which is informational and non-destructive.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_commits' and description states it 'Returns a list of React commit IDs that have recorded render data for a project.' The verb 'Returns' and the read-only nature of querying/listing commit IDs indicates pure data retrieval with no side effects.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs get_commits 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 get_commits, this is the rule to start with:
get_commits is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Why Did You Render, apply this rule, and every get_commits call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about get_commits
Returns a list of React commit IDs that have recorded render data for a project. Use these IDs with get_renders_by_commit to inspect individual commits. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Why Did You Render MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Why Did You Render MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_commits: 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.
get_commits is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_commits 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 get_commits. 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.
get_commits 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.
More on Why Did You Render, and thousands of servers like it.
This server
Across the catalogue