place_family

Place a family instance at a specified location in the Revit model

SERVERRevit MCP Server SOURCEdemolinator/revit-mcp-server

Medium RISK CLASS

Category Write

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Rate-limitedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/demolinator-revit-mcp-server/place-family.md

WHAT IT DOES

What place_family does on Revit MCP Server

AI agents use place_family to create or update resources in Revit MCP Server, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Revit MCP Server environment.

RISK

Why place_family is rated Medium

This tool creates new elements (family instances) in the Revit model, which is a reversible write operation. While it modifies the model, family instances can be deleted or moved, making it Write rather than Destructive. Severity is medium because misuse could add unintended elements to architectural designs, requiring cleanup but causing no permanent data loss.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'place_family' and description 'Place a family instance at a specified location in the Revit model' indicate creation of new model elements. 'Place' and 'instance' confirm object instantiation.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs place_family safely

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

place_family Rate-limited

place_family 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.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "place_family": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "place_family_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

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

FAQ

Questions about place_family

What does the place_family tool do? +

Place a family instance at a specified location in the Revit model. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Revit MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on place_family? +

Register the Revit MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for place_family: 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 Revit MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is place_family? +

place_family is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit place_family? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the place_family 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 place_family completely? +

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

place_family is provided by the Revit MCP Server MCP server (demolinator/revit-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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