download_file
Save a file of the Moodle site to a local folder, with the person's session: a resource's or folder's file (get_activity_content), an assignment's brief file or submitted file (get_assignment, get_submissions), a forum attachment (get_discussion). Only URLs of the configured site's host (its medi...
This record as markdown: /tools/falkenslab-moodle-mcp/download-file.md
What download_file does on Moodle
AI agents call download_file to retrieve information from Moodle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
url | string | Yes | The file's URL on the site, as the other tools give it (…/pluginfile.php/…) |
destDir | string | Yes | Absolute local folder to save into; created if missing |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why download_file is rated Low
Even though download_file only reads data, uncontrolled read access leaks sensitive information and racks up API costs: an agent caught in a retry loop can make thousands of calls a minute without anyone noticing.
Risk signalsAccepts URL/endpoint input (url)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs download_file 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 download_file, this is the rule to start with:
download_file 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 Moodle, apply this rule, and every download_file call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about download_file
Save a file of the Moodle site to a local folder, with the person's session: a resource's or folder's file (get_activity_content), an assignment's brief file or submitted file (get_assignment, get_submissions), a forum attachment (get_discussion). Only URLs of the configured site's host (its media too: videos it serves outside Moodle); external links (YouTube…) are for other tools. Never overwrites: an existing name gets a number. Returns where it was saved. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Moodle MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
download_file accepts 2 parameters: url, destDir. Required: url, destDir. 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 download_file: 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.
download_file 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 download_file 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 download_file. 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.
download_file 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.
More on Moodle, and thousands of servers like it.
This server
Across the catalogue