# get_instance_template_basic_info

Get basic information about a Compute Engine instance template, including its name, ID, description, machine type, region, and creation timestamp. Requires project and instance template name as input.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `get_instance_template_basic_info`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-instance-template-basic-info

## Facts

- Tool: `get_instance_template_basic_info`
- Server: Mcp (`https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server auth posture: open
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 2 (2 required)
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `name` | string | yes | Required. Identifier. Name of the instance template to return. |
| `project` | string | yes | Required. Project ID for this request. |

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_instance_template_basic_info",
    "arguments": {
      "name": "<name>",
      "project": "<project>"
    }
  }
}
```

## Why get_instance_template_basic_info is rated Low

This tool retrieves metadata about a Compute Engine instance template without modifying, deleting, or executing anything. It simply queries and returns basic information (name, ID, description, machine type, region, creation timestamp).

From the tool's own definition: "Tool description states 'Get basic information' which is a read-only operation. The verb 'Get' and the absence of any modification language (create, update, delete, modify) indicate data retrieval only. No side effects are mentioned."

## Use case

AI agents call get_instance_template_basic_info to retrieve information from Mcp 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 Mcp:

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

## Other tools on Mcp (28)

- `delete_instance` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/delete-instance.md
- `reset_instance` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/reset-instance.md
- `start_instance` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/start-instance.md
- `stop_instance` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/stop-instance.md
- `get_commitment_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-commitment-basic-info.md
- `get_disk_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-disk-basic-info.md
- `get_disk_performance_config` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-disk-performance-config.md
- `get_instance_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-instance-basic-info.md
- `get_instance_group_manager_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-instance-group-manager-basic-info.md
- `get_instance_template_properties` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-instance-template-properties.md
- `get_reservation_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-reservation-basic-info.md
- `get_reservation_details` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-reservation-details.md
- `get_zone_operation` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-zone-operation.md
- `list_accelerator_types` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-accelerator-types.md
- `list_commitment_reservations` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-commitment-reservations.md
- `list_commitments` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-commitments.md
- `list_disks` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-disks.md
- `list_images` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-images.md
- `list_instance_attached_disks` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-instance-attached-disks.md
- `list_instance_group_managers` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-instance-group-managers.md
- `list_instance_templates` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-instance-templates.md
- `list_instances` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-instances.md
- `list_machine_types` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-machine-types.md
- `list_managed_instances` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-managed-instances.md
- `list_reservations` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-reservations.md
- `list_snapshots` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-snapshots.md
- `create_instance` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/create-instance.md
- `set_instance_machine_type` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/set-instance-machine-type.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-googleapis-compute-mcp · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/com-googleapis-compute-mcp