# get_tool

Full detail for one tool by category and id (as returned by search_tools). Includes description, install command, repo, license, and — for skills — capabilities and prerequisites extracted from the SKILL.md itself.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `get_tool`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getagentictools-catalog/get-tool

## Facts

- Tool: `get_tool`
- Server: Catalog (`https://getagentictools.com/api/mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getagentictools-catalog.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/dmoka/getagentictools-mcp
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade D, identity unverified
- Server auth posture: open
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 2 (2 required)
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `id` | string | yes | The tool id, e.g. "mattpocock-skills-tdd" |
| `category` | string | yes | The tool's category, e.g. "skills" |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

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

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "get_tool",
    "arguments": {
      "id": "<id>",
      "category": "<category>"
    }
  }
}
```

## Why get_tool is rated Low

This tool queries a catalog database by tool ID to fetch and return structured metadata. There is no modification, deletion, code execution, or financial transaction involved. It is a straightforward lookup operation analogous to a GET request in REST APIs, making it a Read category tool with low severity.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool retrieves 'full detail for one tool' by identifier, returning metadata like description, install command, repo, and license. The verb 'get' and the action of retrieving static information with 'no side effects' align with read-only query operations."

## Use case

AI agents call get_tool to retrieve information from Catalog 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 Catalog:

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

## Other tools on Catalog (4)

- `ecosystem_stats` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getagentictools-catalog/ecosystem-stats.md
- `list_categories` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getagentictools-catalog/list-categories.md
- `search_tools` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getagentictools-catalog/search-tools.md
- `whats_new` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-getagentictools-catalog/whats-new.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`

---

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