This record as markdown: /tools/actual/search.docs.md
What search.docs does on Actual
AI agents call search.docs 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 search.docs is rated Low
This tool retrieves/queries data from a document store without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. The word 'search' is a classic read operation, and the description confirms it operates on a 'demo document store' with no side effects mentioned.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'search.docs' and description 'Search a small demo document store' indicate read-only querying of documents with no modification or execution capability.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs search.docs 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 search.docs, this is the rule to start with:
search.docs 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 search.docs call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about search.docs
Search a small demo document store. 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 search.docs: 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.
search.docs 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 search.docs 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 search.docs. 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.
search.docs 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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