search_spreadsheets

SERVERMcp Google Sheets SOURCE@a1-x-tech/mcp-google-sheets

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 40 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/a1-x-tech-mcp-google-sheets/search-spreadsheets.md

WHAT IT DOES

What search_spreadsheets does on Mcp Google Sheets

AI agents call search_spreadsheets to retrieve information from Mcp Google Sheets 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
`order_by`	string	—	Drive sort key, e.g. "modifiedTime desc" (default), "name", "createdTime desc", "viewedByMeTime desc".
`page_size`	integer	—	Max files per page (1..1000; default 100).
`page_token`	string	—	nextPageToken from the previous page.
`name_contains`	string	—	Case-insensitive name substring to filter by (omit to list all spreadsheets).

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

RISK

Why search_spreadsheets is rated Low

Retrieves metadata from accessible spreadsheets without modification, but exposes file ownership and sharing information.

From the tool's definition Finds Google Sheets spreadsheets the authorized user can open; lists id, name, createdTime, modifiedTime, owners, webViewLink

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs search_spreadsheets safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Mcp Google Sheets, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For search_spreadsheets, this is the rule to start with:

search_spreadsheets Allowed

search_spreadsheets is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "search_spreadsheets": {}
  }
}

ALLOW ONLY THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Mcp Google Sheets, apply this rule, and every search_spreadsheets call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about search_spreadsheets

What does the search_spreadsheets tool do? +

Finds Google Sheets spreadsheets the authorized user can open (own files and shared drives; trashed files are excluded): id, name, createdTime, modifiedTime, owners and webViewLink per file, newest-modified first by default. name_contains filters by name substring; omit it to list everything. Paginate with page_token from nextPageToken. This is the one read that goes through the Drive API internally, so the OAuth token needs a Drive scope (drive, drive.readonly or drive.file for app-created files) — with only the spreadsheets scope it fails with 403 while every other tool still works. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mcp Google Sheets MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

What parameters does search_spreadsheets accept? +

search_spreadsheets accepts 4 parameters: order_by, page_size, page_token, name_contains. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.

How do I enforce a policy on search_spreadsheets? +

Register the Mcp Google Sheets MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_spreadsheets: 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 Mcp Google Sheets. Nothing to install.

What risk level is search_spreadsheets? +

search_spreadsheets is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit search_spreadsheets? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_spreadsheets 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.

How do I block search_spreadsheets completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for search_spreadsheets. 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.

What MCP server provides search_spreadsheets? +

search_spreadsheets is provided by the Mcp Google Sheets MCP server (@a1-x-tech/mcp-google-sheets). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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