actual_get_id_by_name
Resolve an entity name to its UUID. Looks up the UUID for any Account, Payee, Category, or Schedule by their display name. This is useful when you know the human-readable name but need the ID for other API calls. Allowed types:
This record as markdown: /tools/actual/actual-get-id-by-name.md
What actual_get_id_by_name does on Actual
AI agents call actual_get_id_by_name to retrieve information from Actual without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Why actual_get_id_by_name is rated Low
This tool performs a read-only query operation to retrieve identifiers based on display names. It retrieves data without modifying, deleting, or executing any actions. The lookup is a simple reference resolution that has no side effects on the system state.
From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Resolve[s] an entity name to its UUID' and 'Looks up the UUID for any Account, Payee, Category, or Schedule by their display name.' This is a pure lookup operation with no side effects.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs actual_get_id_by_name 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_get_id_by_name, this is the rule to start with:
actual_get_id_by_name 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 Actual, apply this rule, and every actual_get_id_by_name call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about actual_get_id_by_name
Resolve an entity name to its UUID. Looks up the UUID for any Account, Payee, Category, or Schedule by their display name. This is useful when you know the human-readable name but need the ID for other API calls. Allowed types:. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Actual MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Actual MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for actual_get_id_by_name: 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_get_id_by_name 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 actual_get_id_by_name 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_get_id_by_name. 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_get_id_by_name 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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