actual_category_groups_update
Update an existing category group in Actual Budget. You can rename the group, change whether it
This record as markdown: /tools/actual/actual-category-groups-update.md
What actual_category_groups_update does on Actual
AI agents use actual_category_groups_update to create or update resources in Actual, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Actual environment.
Why actual_category_groups_update is rated Medium
This tool modifies existing financial category groups within Actual Budget, which is a reversible write operation. While it affects financial management configuration, it does not move money, create financial obligations, or permanently delete data. The blast radius is medium because misconfiguration could affect budget tracking and reporting accuracy, but changes can be reverted.
From the tool's definition Tool name contains 'update' and description states 'Update an existing category group in Actual Budget. You can rename the group, change whether it...' indicating modification of financial configuration data.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs actual_category_groups_update 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_category_groups_update, this is the rule to start with:
actual_category_groups_update stays usable, but capped: an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes 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_category_groups_update call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about actual_category_groups_update
Update an existing category group in Actual Budget. You can rename the group, change whether it. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Actual MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Actual MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for actual_category_groups_update: 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_category_groups_update is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the actual_category_groups_update 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_category_groups_update. 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_category_groups_update 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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