actual_bank_sync
Trigger 3rd party bank sync (GoCardless, SimpleFIN) for linked bank accounts. Returns immediately with an error if no bank-linked accounts are found. When bank-linked accounts exist, waits up to 30 seconds for the provider to confirm the operation and surfaces errors such as rate limits or auth f...
This record as markdown: /tools/actual/actual-bank-sync.md
What actual_bank_sync does on Actual
AI agents invoke actual_bank_sync to trigger actions in Actual. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
Why actual_bank_sync is rated High
This tool executes an external operation that triggers bank synchronization with third-party providers and causes observable side effects (transactions appear in the system). While it involves financial data, it does not move money or create financial obligations directly—it merely synchronizes existing transaction data.
From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Trigger[s] 3rd party bank sync' and 'waits up to 30 seconds for the provider to confirm the operation', indicating active execution of an external operation with side effects (bank data synchronization).
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs actual_bank_sync safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Actual, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For actual_bank_sync, this is the rule to start with:
actual_bank_sync stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Actual, apply this rule, and every actual_bank_sync call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about actual_bank_sync
Trigger 3rd party bank sync (GoCardless, SimpleFIN) for linked bank accounts. Returns immediately with an error if no bank-linked accounts are found. When bank-linked accounts exist, waits up to 30 seconds for the provider to confirm the operation and surfaces errors such as rate limits or auth failures that occur within that window. Successful syncs may take a few additional moments for transactions to appear in Actual Budget. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Actual MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Actual MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for actual_bank_sync: 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 Actual. Nothing to install.
actual_bank_sync is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the actual_bank_sync 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 actual_bank_sync. 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.
actual_bank_sync is provided by the Actual MCP server (actual-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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