allocate_marker
Allocate a marker (someone who can grade; several where the assignment uses several per submission) to participants' submissions, as the grading table's bulk action does; Moodle leaves submissions past marking alone. Participants and markers as get_submissions gives them: aliases when the server ...
This record as markdown: /tools/falkenslab-moodle-mcp/allocate-marker.md
What allocate_marker does on Moodle
AI agents use allocate_marker 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
users | array | — | The participants' aliases, as the reading tools give them when the server pseudonymizes |
markers | array | — | The markers' aliases, when the server pseudonymizes |
userIds | array | — | The participants' user ids, when the server shows names |
markerIds | array | — | The markers' user ids, when the server shows names |
assignmentId | integer | Yes | The assignment's id (course module id), as list_assignments gives it |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why allocate_marker is rated Medium
An AI agent can call allocate_marker 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.
Risk signalsBulk/mass operation — affects multiple targets
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs allocate_marker 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 allocate_marker, this is the rule to start with:
allocate_marker 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 allocate_marker call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about allocate_marker
Allocate a marker (someone who can grade; several where the assignment uses several per submission) to participants' submissions, as the grading table's bulk action does; Moodle leaves submissions past marking alone. Participants and markers as get_submissions gives them: aliases when the server pseudonymizes. 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.
allocate_marker accepts 5 parameters: users, markers, userIds, markerIds, assignmentId. Required: assignmentId. 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 allocate_marker: 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.
allocate_marker 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 allocate_marker 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 allocate_marker. 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.
allocate_marker 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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