unblock_work_item
Remove a dependency that should not have been recorded — a link added in error, or one that turned out not to be real. This is NOT how a dependency ends in the normal course. A blocker resolves by REACHING Ready to Ship or Production, which the queue derives on its own; deleting the edge instead ...
This record as markdown: /tools/adrata-adrata-mcp/unblock-work-item.md
What unblock_work_item does on Adrata
AI agents call unblock_work_item to permanently remove resources in Adrata, typically in cleanup and lifecycle workflows. It does its job in a single call, and there is no undo.
Why unblock_work_item is rated Critical
An AI agent that decides to call unblock_work_item doesn't hesitate, doesn't double-check, and doesn't stop at one. Whatever it removes from Adrata is gone. There is no undo for destructive operations.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs unblock_work_item safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Adrata, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For unblock_work_item, this is the rule to start with:
unblock_work_item is removed from the agent's tool list entirely, so the agent never calls it. The rest of the server keeps working.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Adrata, apply this rule, and every unblock_work_item call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about unblock_work_item
Remove a dependency that should not have been recorded — a link added in error, or one that turned out not to be real. This is NOT how a dependency ends in the normal course. A blocker resolves by REACHING Ready to Ship or Production, which the queue derives on its own; deleting the edge instead would say the dependency never existed and lose why the card waited. Use this only to correct the record. Removing an edge that is not there succeeds: the caller asked for a state, and that state is what they get.${GOVERNED_NOTE}. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the Adrata MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.
Register the Adrata MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for unblock_work_item: 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 Adrata. Nothing to install.
unblock_work_item is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the unblock_work_item 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 unblock_work_item. 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.
unblock_work_item is provided by the Adrata MCP server (@adrata/adrata-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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