add_grade_category
Add a grade category to a course's gradebook, at the top level or inside another, with its aggregation. Returns it as the setup shows it. Changes how grades are computed: confirm with the person first.
This record as markdown: /tools/falkenslab-moodle-mcp/add-grade-category.md
What add_grade_category does on Moodle
AI agents use add_grade_category to create or update resources in Moodle, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Moodle environment.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
name | string | Yes | |
courseId | integer | Yes | |
parentId | integer | — | The category to put it in; the course's top level when missing |
aggregation | string | — |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why add_grade_category is rated Medium
An AI agent can call add_grade_category faster than any human can review: one bad instruction and it creates or modifies resources in Moodle by the hundred, each call as confident as the last.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs add_grade_category safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Moodle, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For add_grade_category, this is the rule to start with:
add_grade_category 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 Moodle, apply this rule, and every add_grade_category call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about add_grade_category
Add a grade category to a course's gradebook, at the top level or inside another, with its aggregation. Returns it as the setup shows it. Changes how grades are computed: confirm with the person first. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Moodle MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
add_grade_category accepts 4 parameters: name, courseId, parentId, aggregation. Required: name, courseId. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Moodle MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for add_grade_category: 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 Moodle. Nothing to install.
add_grade_category 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 add_grade_category 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 add_grade_category. 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.
add_grade_category is provided by the Moodle MCP server (@falkenslab/moodle-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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