actual_transactions_search_by_category
Search transactions by category name. Returns all transactions in a specific category with optional date range, account, and amount filters. Perfect for analyzing spending in budget categories.
This record as markdown: /tools/actual/actual-transactions-search-by-category.md
What actual_transactions_search_by_category does on Actual
AI agents call actual_transactions_search_by_category 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_transactions_search_by_category is rated Low
This tool retrieves and queries transaction data filtered by category, date range, account, and amount. It has no side effects — it does not create, modify, delete, or move money. While it operates on financial data, it is a read-only query operation. The blast radius of misuse is minimal: an agent could retrieve sensitive transaction history, but cannot execute payments, delete records, or alter account state.
From the tool's definition Tool name includes 'search' and description states 'Search transactions by category name. Returns all transactions' — these are query operations with no modifications, deletions, or financial movements.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs actual_transactions_search_by_category 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_transactions_search_by_category, this is the rule to start with:
actual_transactions_search_by_category 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_transactions_search_by_category call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about actual_transactions_search_by_category
Search transactions by category name. Returns all transactions in a specific category with optional date range, account, and amount filters. Perfect for analyzing spending in budget categories. 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_transactions_search_by_category: 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_transactions_search_by_category 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_transactions_search_by_category 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_transactions_search_by_category. 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_transactions_search_by_category 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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