# list_discussions

List discussions for a repository or organisation.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `list_discussions`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/github/list-discussions

## Facts

- Tool: `list_discussions`
- Server: GitHub (`oci:ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server:1.3.0`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/github.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade D, identity verified
- Server auth posture: gated
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 7
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `repo` | string | no | Repository name. If not provided, discussions will be queried at the organisation level. |
| `after` | string | no | Cursor for pagination. Use the endCursor from the previous page's PageInfo for GraphQL APIs. |
| `owner` | string | no | Repository owner |
| `orderBy` | string | no | Order discussions by field. If provided, the 'direction' also needs to be provided. |
| `perPage` | number | no | Results per page for pagination (min 1, max 100) |
| `category` | string | no | Optional filter by discussion category ID. If provided, only discussions with this category are listed. |
| `direction` | string | no | Order direction. |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "list_discussions",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why list_discussions is rated Low

This tool performs a query/list operation to retrieve discussion data. There is no indication of creating, modifying, deleting, or executing operations. The verb 'list' is characteristic of Read category tools. The severity is low because retrieving discussion metadata poses minimal risk even if misused by an AI agent.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool name 'list_discussions' and description 'List discussions for a repository or organisation' indicate retrieval of existing data with no modification or side effects."

## Use case

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

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches GitHub:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "list_discussions": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on GitHub (85)

- `delete_file` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/delete-file.md
- `projects_write` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/projects-write.md
- `actions_run_trigger` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/actions-run-trigger.md
- `assign_copilot_to_issue` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/assign-copilot-to-issue.md
- `actions_get` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/actions-get.md
- `actions_list` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/actions-list.md
- `get_code_scanning_alert` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-code-scanning-alert.md
- `get_commit` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-commit.md
- `get_copilot_job_status` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-copilot-job-status.md
- `get_copilot_space` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-copilot-space.md
- `get_dependabot_alert` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-dependabot-alert.md
- `get_discussion` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-discussion.md
- `get_discussion_comments` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-discussion-comments.md
- `get_file_contents` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-file-contents.md
- `get_gist` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-gist.md
- `get_global_security_advisory` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-global-security-advisory.md
- `get_job_logs` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-job-logs.md
- `get_label` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-label.md
- `get_latest_release` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-latest-release.md
- `get_me` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-me.md
- `get_notification_details` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-notification-details.md
- `get_release_by_tag` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-release-by-tag.md
- `get_repository_tree` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-repository-tree.md
- `get_secret_scanning_alert` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-secret-scanning-alert.md
- `get_tag` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-tag.md
- `get_team_members` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-team-members.md
- `get_teams` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/get-teams.md
- `github_support_docs_search` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/github-support-docs-search.md
- `issue_read` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/issue-read.md
- `list_branches` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/github/list-branches.md
- …and 55 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/github.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=github · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/github