search_m365_directory
Search your organization's Microsoft 365 directory for users by name or email. Returns matching users with their title, department, and contact info.
This record as markdown: /tools/com-local-mcp-local-mcp/search-m365-directory.md
What search_m365_directory does on Local
AI agents call search_m365_directory 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 results (default 10, max 25) |
query | string | Yes | Name or email to search for, e.g. 'Sarah' or 'sarah@contoso.com' |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why search_m365_directory is rated Low
This tool performs directory lookups and returns user metadata. It is a read operation—no data is created, modified, deleted, or used to execute external actions. The 'medium' severity reflects that organizational directory information could be used to enumerate users for targeted attacks (phishing, credential stuffing, social engineering), but the tool itself does not enable lateral movement, authentication bypass,…
From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Search[es] your organization's Microsoft 365 directory for users by name or email.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs search_m365_directory 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 search_m365_directory, this is the rule to start with:
search_m365_directory 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 search_m365_directory call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about search_m365_directory
Search your organization's Microsoft 365 directory for users by name or email. Returns matching users with their title, department, and contact info. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Local MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
search_m365_directory accepts 2 parameters: limit, query. Required: query. 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 search_m365_directory: 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.
search_m365_directory 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 search_m365_directory 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 search_m365_directory. 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.
search_m365_directory 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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