actual_transactions_search_by_payee
Search transactions by payee name. Returns all transactions for a specific payee with optional date range, category, and amount filters. Useful for analyzing spending patterns with specific vendors or service providers.
This record as markdown: /tools/actual/actual-transactions-search-by-payee.md
What actual_transactions_search_by_payee does on Actual
AI agents call actual_transactions_search_by_payee 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_payee is rated Low
This tool queries and retrieves transaction data based on payee filters. It has no side effects, does not modify or delete data, and does not execute external operations. Despite operating within a financial management system, the tool itself performs only read operations on transaction history. The filters (date range, category, amount) are query parameters, not actions that alter state.
From the tool's definition Tool name contains 'search' and description states 'Search transactions by payee name. Returns all transactions' — core retrieval operation with no modification, deletion, or execution of code/commands.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs actual_transactions_search_by_payee 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_payee, this is the rule to start with:
actual_transactions_search_by_payee 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_payee call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about actual_transactions_search_by_payee
Search transactions by payee name. Returns all transactions for a specific payee with optional date range, category, and amount filters. Useful for analyzing spending patterns with specific vendors or service providers. 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_payee: 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_payee 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_payee 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_payee. 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_payee 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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