ask_user

Ask the user a question when you need clarification, a preference,

SERVERGenkit MCP SOURCEgenkit-ai/genkit

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/firebase-genkit/ask-user.md

WHAT IT DOES

What ask_user does on Genkit MCP

AI agents call ask_user to retrieve information from Genkit MCP without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

RISK

Why ask_user is rated Low

Even though ask_user 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.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs ask_user safely

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

ask_user Allowed

ask_user is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "ask_user": {}
  }
}

ALLOW ONLY THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

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

FAQ

Questions about ask_user

What does the ask_user tool do? +

Ask the user a question when you need clarification, a preference,. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Genkit MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on ask_user? +

Register the Genkit MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for ask_user: 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 Genkit MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is ask_user? +

ask_user is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit ask_user? +

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

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

ask_user is provided by the Genkit MCP server (genkit-ai/genkit). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

KEEP EXPLORING

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Guides

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