This record as markdown: /tools/ghl/search-contacts.md
What search_contacts does on Ghl
AI agents call search_contacts to retrieve information from Ghl 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
email | string | — | Filter by email address |
limit | number | — | Maximum number of results (default: 25) |
phone | string | — | Filter by phone number |
query | string | — | Search query string |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why search_contacts is rated Low
This tool queries contact data using filters but performs no write, execute, destructive, or financial operations. It is a standard read operation that retrieves existing information without side effects. The low severity reflects the minimal risk from an AI agent misuse—at worst, it could retrieve contacts the agent shouldn't see, but cannot modify, delete, or execute operations.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'search_contacts' and description 'Search for contacts with advanced filtering options' indicate data retrieval with no modification or deletion capabilities.
Risk signalsAccepts freeform code/query input (query)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs search_contacts safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Ghl, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For search_contacts, this is the rule to start with:
search_contacts 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 Ghl, apply this rule, and every search_contacts call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about search_contacts
Search for contacts with advanced filtering options. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Ghl MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
search_contacts accepts 4 parameters: email, limit, phone, query. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Ghl MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_contacts: 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 Ghl. Nothing to install.
search_contacts 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 search_contacts 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 search_contacts. 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.
search_contacts is provided by the Ghl MCP server (ghl-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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