# 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.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `actual_transactions_search_by_payee`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-transactions-search-by-payee

## Facts

- Tool: `actual_transactions_search_by_payee`
- Server: Actual (`actual-mcp-server`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual.md
- Install: `npx -y actual-mcp-server`
- Homepage: git+https://github.com/agigante80/actual-mcp-server.git
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 0
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "actual_transactions_search_by_payee",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## 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 own 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."

## Use case

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.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Actual:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "actual_transactions_search_by_payee": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Actual (63)

- `actual_accounts_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-accounts-delete.md
- `actual_categories_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-categories-delete.md
- `actual_category_groups_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-category-groups-delete.md
- `actual_payees_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-payees-delete.md
- `actual_rules_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-rules-delete.md
- `actual_schedules_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-schedules-delete.md
- `actual_tags_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-tags-delete.md
- `actual_transactions_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-transactions-delete.md
- `actual_bank_sync` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-bank-sync.md
- `actual_query_run` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-query-run.md
- `actual_session_close` — Other — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-session-close.md
- `actual_accounts_list` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-accounts-list.md
- `actual_budgets_get_all` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-budgets-get-all.md
- `actual_budgets_getMonth` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-budgets-getmonth.md
- `actual_budgets_getMonths` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-budgets-getmonths.md
- `actual_budgets_list_available` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-budgets-list-available.md
- `actual_categories_get` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-categories-get.md
- `actual_category_groups_get` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-category-groups-get.md
- `actual_entities_search` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-entities-search.md
- `actual_get_id_by_name` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-get-id-by-name.md
- `actual_notes_get` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-notes-get.md
- `actual_payee_rules_get` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-payee-rules-get.md
- `actual_payees_common_list` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-payees-common-list.md
- `actual_payees_get` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-payees-get.md
- `actual_rules_get` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-rules-get.md
- `actual_schedules_get` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-schedules-get.md
- `actual_server_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-server-info.md
- `actual_session_list` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-session-list.md
- `actual_tags_list` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-tags-list.md
- `actual_transactions_filter` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/actual/actual-transactions-filter.md
- …and 33 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/actual.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

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Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=actual · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/actual