list_contacts

Lists contacts from the macOS Contacts app. Optionally filter by group.

SERVERLocal SOURCElocal-mcp

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 20 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/com-local-mcp-local-mcp/list-contacts.md

WHAT IT DOES

What list_contacts does on Local

AI agents call list_contacts to retrieve information from Local without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`limit`	integer	—	Max contacts to return (default 100)
`group_name`	string	—	Filter by group name (optional)

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

RISK

Why list_contacts is rated Low

This tool retrieves and queries contact data from a local macOS app with no side effects, creation, modification, deletion, or execution capabilities. It is a straightforward read operation that merely surfaces existing data.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'list_contacts' and description states it 'Lists contacts from the macOS Contacts app' with optional filtering. The verb 'lists' and action of retrieving contact data without modification indicates a read-only operation.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs list_contacts safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Local, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For list_contacts, this is the rule to start with:

list_contacts Allowed

list_contacts is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "list_contacts": {}
  }
}

ALLOW ONLY THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Local, apply this rule, and every list_contacts call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about list_contacts

What does the list_contacts tool do? +

Lists contacts from the macOS Contacts app. Optionally filter by group. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Local MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

What parameters does list_contacts accept? +

list_contacts accepts 2 parameters: limit, group_name. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.

How do I enforce a policy on list_contacts? +

Register the Local MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_contacts: 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 Local. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list_contacts? +

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

Can I rate-limit list_contacts? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the list_contacts 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.

How do I block list_contacts completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for list_contacts. 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 list_contacts? +

list_contacts is provided by the Local MCP server (local-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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