list_emails
List emails from a mailbox folder ordered by date descending.
This record as markdown: /tools/0xka13b-microsoft-mcps/list-emails.md
What list_emails does on Microsoft MCP
AI agents call list_emails to retrieve information from Microsoft MCP without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
limit | integer | — | Number of messages to return (1–100). Defaults to 10. |
folder | string | — | Folder name: inbox, sent, drafts, deleted, junk, archive, or a folder ID. Defaults to inbox. |
include_body | boolean | — | Include message body. Defaults to true. |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why list_emails is rated Low
This tool queries and returns email messages from a folder, a read-only operation with no side effects on data. Severity is medium rather than low because email can contain sensitive personal or business information (PII, trade secrets, financial data), creating moderate risk if an AI agent misuses access to list emails from someone else's mailbox or exposes contents to unauthorized parties.
From the tool's definition 'List emails from a mailbox folder' — retrieves email data without modifying or deleting it. The verb 'list' is explicitly retrieval-based.
Risk signalsAccepts file system path (folder)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs list_emails safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Microsoft MCP, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For list_emails, this is the rule to start with:
list_emails 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 Microsoft MCP, apply this rule, and every list_emails call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about list_emails
List emails from a mailbox folder ordered by date descending. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Microsoft MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
list_emails accepts 3 parameters: limit, folder, include_body. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Microsoft MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_emails: 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 Microsoft MCP. Nothing to install.
list_emails 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 list_emails 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 list_emails. 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.
list_emails is provided by the Microsoft MCP server (0xka13b/microsoft-mcps). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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