update_user
Update a database user for a Cloud SQL instance. A common use case for the update_user is to grant a user the cloudsqlsuperuser role, which can provide a user with many required permissions. This tool only supports updating users to assign database roles. * This tool returns a long-running operat...
This record as markdown: /tools/com-googleapis-sqladmin-mcp/update-user.md
What update_user does on Mcp
AI agents use update_user to create or update resources in Mcp, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Mcp environment.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
host | string | — | Optional. Host of the user in the instance. |
name | string | Yes | Required. Name of the user in the instance. |
type | string | Yes | Required. The user type. It determines the method to authenticate the user during login. The default is the database's built-in user type. |
project | string | Yes | Required. Project ID of the project that contains the instance. |
instance | string | Yes | Required. Database instance ID. This does not include the project ID. |
databaseRoles | array | — | Optional. List of database roles to grant to the user. body.database_roles will be ignored for update request. |
revokeExistingRoles | boolean | — | Optional. revoke the existing roles granted to the user. |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why update_user is rated Medium
An AI agent can call update_user faster than any human can review: one bad instruction and it creates or modifies resources in Mcp by the hundred, each call as confident as the last.
Risk signalsAccepts URL/endpoint input (host)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs update_user safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Mcp, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For update_user, this is the rule to start with:
update_user stays usable, but capped: an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Mcp, apply this rule, and every update_user call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about update_user
Update a database user for a Cloud SQL instance. A common use case for the update_user is to grant a user the cloudsqlsuperuser role, which can provide a user with many required permissions. This tool only supports updating users to assign database roles. * This tool returns a long-running operation. Use the get_operation tool to poll its status until the operation completes. * Before calling the update_user tool, always check the existing configuration of the user such as the user type with list_users tool. * As a special case for MySQL, if the list_users tool returns a full email address for the iamEmail field, for example {name=test-account, iamEmail=test-account@project-id.iam.gserviceaccount.com}, then in your update_user request, use the full email address in the iamEmail field in the name field of your toolrequest. For example, name=test-account@project-id.iam.gserviceaccount.com. Key parameters for updating user roles: * database_roles: A list of database roles to be assigned to the user. * revokeExistingRoles: A boolean field (default: false) that controls how existing roles are handled. How role updates work: 1. If revokeExistingRoles is true: * Any existing roles granted to the user but NOT in the provided database_roles list will be REVOKED. * Revoking only applies to non-system roles. System roles like cloudsqliamuser etc won't be revoked. * Any roles in the database_roles list that the user does NOT already have will be GRANTED. * If database_roles is empty, then ALL existing non-system roles are revoked. 2. If revokeExistingRoles is false (default): * Any roles in the database_roles list that the user does NOT already have will be GRANTED. * Existing roles NOT in the database_roles list are KEPT. * If database_roles is empty, then there is no change to the user's roles. Examples: * Existing Roles: [roleA, roleB] * Request: database_roles: [roleB, roleC], revokeExistingRoles: true * Result: Revokes roleA, Grants roleC. User roles become [roleB, roleC]. * Request: database_roles: [roleB, roleC], revokeExistingRoles: false * Result: Grants roleC. User roles become [roleA, roleB, roleC]. * Request: database_roles: [], revokeExistingRoles: true * Result: Revokes roleA, Revokes roleB. User roles become []. * Request: database_roles: [], revokeExistingRoles: false * Result: No change. User roles remain [roleA, roleB]. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Mcp MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
update_user accepts 7 parameters: host, name, type, project, instance, databaseRoles, revokeExistingRoles. Required: name, type, project, instance. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for update_user: 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 Mcp. Nothing to install.
update_user is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the update_user 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 update_user. 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.
update_user is provided by the MCP server (https://sqladmin.googleapis.com/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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