get_alarm_history

// WHEN AI AGENTS USE THIS TOOL

AI agents call get_alarm_history to retrieve information from AWS Labs CloudWatch MCP Server without modifying any data. This is common in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows where the agent needs context before taking action. Because read operations don't change state, they are generally safe to allow without restrictions -- but you may still want rate limits to control API costs.

// WHY ENFORCE A POLICY ON GET_ALARM_HISTORY

Even though get_alarm_history only reads data, uncontrolled read access can leak sensitive information or rack up API costs. An agent caught in a retry loop could make thousands of calls per minute. A rate limit gives you a safety net without blocking legitimate use.

// RECOMMENDED POLICY

Read-only tools are safe to allow by default. No rate limit needed unless you want to control costs.

aws-labs-cloudwatch-mcp-server.yaml

tools:
  get_alarm_history:
    rules:
      - action: allow

See the full AWS Labs CloudWatch MCP Server policy for all 19 tools.

// DETAILS

Tool Name get_alarm_history

Category Read

MCP Server AWS Labs CloudWatch MCP Server MCP Server

Risk Level Low

// MORE AWS LABS CLOUDWATCH MCP SERVER TOOLS

Destructive cancel_logs_insight_query Execute execute_cwl_insights_batch Execute execute_log_insights_query Execute execute_promql_query Execute execute_promql_range_query Read analyze_log_group Read analyze_metric Read describe_log_groups

View all 19 tools →

// WHAT CAN GO WRONG

Agents calling read-class tools like get_alarm_history have been implicated in these attack patterns. Read the full case and prevention policy for each:

Browse the full MCP Attack Database →

// OTHER READ TOOLS ACROSS MCP SERVERS

Other tools in the Read risk category across the catalogue. The same policy patterns (rate-limit, allow) apply to each.

Firecrawl Web Scraping Server firecrawl_check_crawl_status Firecrawl Web Scraping Server firecrawl_crawl Firecrawl Web Scraping Server firecrawl_deep_research Firecrawl Web Scraping Server firecrawl_extract Firecrawl Web Scraping Server firecrawl_map Firecrawl Web Scraping Server firecrawl_scrape

// RELATED READING

// FAQ

What does the get_alarm_history tool do? +

Gets the history for a CloudWatch alarm with time range suggestions for investigation. This tool retrieves the history for a specified CloudWatch alarm, focusing primarily on state transitions to ALARM state. It also provides suggested time ranges for investigation based on the alarm's configuration and history. Usage: Use this tool to understand when an alarm fired and get useful time ranges for investigating the underlying issue using other CloudWatch tools. The tool is particularly useful for identifying patterns like alarm flapping (going in and out of alarm state frequently). Args: ctx: The MCP context object for error handling and logging. region: AWS region to query. Defaults to AWS_REGION environment variable or us-east-1 if not set. alarm_name: Name of the alarm to retrieve history for. start_time: Optional start time for the history query. Defaults to 24 hours ago. end_time: Optional end time for the history query. Defaults to current time. history_item_type: Optional type of history items to retrieve. Defaults to 'StateUpdate'. max_items: Maximum number of history items to return. Defaults to 50. include_component_alarms: For composite alarms, whether to include details about component alarms. profile_name: AWS CLI Profile Name to use for AWS access. Falls back to AWS_PROFILE environment variable if not specified, or uses default AWS credential chain. Returns: Union[AlarmHistoryResponse, CompositeAlarmComponentResponse]: Either a response containing alarm history with time range suggestions, or component alarm details for composite alarms. Example: result = await get_alarm_history( ctx, alarm_name="my-cpu-alarm", start_time="2025-06-18T00:00:00Z", end_time="2025-06-19T00:00:00Z" ) if isinstance(result, AlarmHistoryResponse): print(f"Found {len(result.history_items)} history items") for suggestion in result.time_range_suggestions: print(f"Suggested investigation time range: {suggestion.start_time} to {suggestion.end_time}"). It is categorised as a Read tool in the AWS Labs CloudWatch MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on get_alarm_history? +

Add a rule in your Intercept YAML policy under the tools section for get_alarm_history. You can allow, deny, rate-limit, or validate arguments. Then run Intercept as a proxy in front of the AWS Labs CloudWatch MCP Server MCP server.

What risk level is get_alarm_history? +

get_alarm_history is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit get_alarm_history? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_alarm_history rule in your Intercept 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.

How do I block get_alarm_history completely? +

Set action: deny in the Intercept policy for get_alarm_history. 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.

What MCP server provides get_alarm_history? +

get_alarm_history is provided by the AWS Labs CloudWatch MCP Server MCP server (awslabs.cloudwatch-mcp-server). Intercept sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Let agents act without letting them run wild.