MCP Tool Reference Medium Risk

update_dashboard

Create or modify dashboards

Part of the Grafana MCP server. Enforce policies on this tool with Intercept, the open-source MCP proxy.

grafana/mcp-grafana Write

WHEN AI AGENTS USE THIS TOOL

AI agents use update_dashboard to create or modify resources in Grafana. Write operations carry medium risk because an autonomous agent could trigger bulk unintended modifications. Rate limits prevent a single agent session from making hundreds of changes in rapid succession. Argument validation ensures the agent passes expected values.

WHY ENFORCE A POLICY ON UPDATE_DASHBOARD

Without a policy, an AI agent could call update_dashboard repeatedly, creating or modifying resources faster than any human could review. Intercept's rate limiting ensures write operations happen at a controlled pace, and argument validation catches malformed or unexpected inputs before they reach Grafana.

RECOMMENDED POLICY

Write tools can modify data. A rate limit prevents runaway bulk operations from AI agents.

grafana.yaml 
tools:
  update_dashboard:
    rules:
      - action: allow
        rate_limit:
          max: 30
          window: 60

See the full Grafana policy for all 29 tools.

DETAILS

Tool Name

update_dashboard

Category

Write

MCP Server

Grafana MCP Server

Risk Level

Medium

MORE GRAFANA TOOLS

create_alert_rule Write
Define new alert conditions
create_incident Write
Initiate new incidents
get_dashboard_by_uid Read
Retrieve complete dashboard details
get_dashboard_panel_queries Read
Extract panel titles, queries, and datasource info
get_dashboard_property Read
Extract specific parts using JSONPath
get_dashboard_summary Read
Obtain compact overview without full JSON
get_datasource Read
Retrieve datasource details by UID or name
get_panel_image Read
Render dashboards as PNG

View all 29 tools →

SIMILAR WRITE TOOLS ON OTHER SERVERS

create_table Airtable
Create a new table with fields
update_table Airtable
Update a table's name or description
create_field Airtable
Add a new field to a table
update_field Airtable
Modify an existing field
create_record Airtable
Add a new record
update_record Airtable
Modify an existing record

RELATED READING

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What does the update_dashboard tool do?

Create or modify dashboards. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Grafana MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on update_dashboard?

Add a rule in your Intercept YAML policy under the tools section for update_dashboard. You can allow, deny, rate-limit, or validate arguments. Then run Intercept as a proxy in front of the Grafana MCP server.

What risk level is update_dashboard?

update_dashboard is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit update_dashboard?

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the update_dashboard rule in your Intercept 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 update_dashboard completely?

Set action: deny in the Intercept policy for update_dashboard. 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 update_dashboard?

update_dashboard is provided by the Grafana MCP server (grafana/mcp-grafana). Intercept sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

ENFORCE POLICIES ON GRAFANA

Open source. One binary. Zero dependencies.

VIEW ON GITHUB Full Grafana policy →