move_email
Moves an email to another mailbox (nested target folders are found by name). Pass account= (returned by list_emails/search_emails) so the message lookup targets one account instead of scanning all of them — without it, multi-account Macs are slow and can time out on bulk moves. If you know the fo...
This record as markdown: /tools/com-local-mcp-local-mcp/move-email.md
What move_email does on Local
AI agents use move_email to create or update resources in Local, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Local environment.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
account | string | — | |
confirm | boolean | — | |
mailbox | string | — | |
message_id | string | Yes | |
target_mailbox | string | Yes |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why move_email is rated Medium
The tool relocates emails between folders, which is a reversible write operation. While email organization can be important, moving emails does not permanently delete data, execute arbitrary code, or involve financial transactions. The reversibility and the ability to undo the action by moving the email back to its original location classify this as Write rather than Destructive.
From the tool's definition Moves an email to another mailbox; modifies the location/state of existing data (email message) via the mailbox parameter without deletion or financial impact.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs move_email 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 move_email, this is the rule to start with:
move_email 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 Local, apply this rule, and every move_email call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about move_email
Moves an email to another mailbox (nested target folders are found by name). Pass account= (returned by list_emails/search_emails) so the message lookup targets one account instead of scanning all of them — without it, multi-account Macs are slow and can time out on bulk moves. If you know the folder the message is in, also pass mailbox= (the mailbox field from the listing) so the lookup searches it first. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Local MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
move_email accepts 5 parameters: account, confirm, mailbox, message_id, target_mailbox. Required: message_id, target_mailbox. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Local MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for move_email: 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.
move_email 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 move_email 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 move_email. 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.
move_email 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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