actual_notes_update
Set or clear the note attached to an entity in Actual Budget.
This record as markdown: /tools/actual/actual-notes-update.md
What actual_notes_update does on Actual
AI agents use actual_notes_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_notes_update is rated Medium
The tool creates or modifies notes on budget entities without permanently deleting or destroying data. While notes are relatively low-impact compared to other financial operations, modifying budget metadata could affect user financial tracking and decision-making if an agent writes misleading or fraudulent notes.
From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Set or clear the note attached to an entity in Actual Budget' — this directly modifies existing data (notes) in a reversible manner.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs actual_notes_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_notes_update, this is the rule to start with:
actual_notes_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_notes_update call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about actual_notes_update
Set or clear the note attached to an entity in Actual Budget. 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_notes_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_notes_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_notes_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_notes_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_notes_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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