This record as markdown: /tools/com-local-mcp-local-mcp/pdf-read.md
What pdf_read does on Local
AI agents call pdf_read 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
path | string | Yes | Absolute path to the PDF file |
max_pages | integer | — | Max pages to extract (default: all) |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why pdf_read is rated Low
This tool only retrieves and queries data from PDF documents without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing external operations. It is a straightforward read operation that poses minimal security risk if misused — an AI agent could extract sensitive information from PDFs, but cannot alter or destroy data.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'pdf_read' and description states it 'Reads and extracts text from a PDF file' — a pure read operation with no side effects, modifications, deletions, or external triggering.
Risk signalsAccepts file system path (path)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs pdf_read 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 pdf_read, this is the rule to start with:
pdf_read is read-only, so it stays allowed. 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 pdf_read call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about pdf_read
Reads and extracts text from a PDF file. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Local MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
pdf_read accepts 2 parameters: path, max_pages. Required: path. 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 pdf_read: 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.
pdf_read is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the pdf_read 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 pdf_read. 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.
pdf_read 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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