find_symbol_usages
[MAINTENANCE] 9605edb0 — READ-ONLY cross-reference tracking: given a document and EITHER a doc_equations row id OR a symbol / normalized-LaTeX string, resolve it to ONE target normalized-LaTeX (an equation id uses that row's stored latex_normalized as-is; a raw string is normalized with the SAME ...
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-ajc3xc-meridian/find-symbol-usages.md
What find_symbol_usages does on Meridian
AI agents call find_symbol_usages to retrieve information from Meridian 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
doc | string | Yes | The stored document's source (the path/URL you ingested it under via ingest_document, which registers a docx/latex document in the doc-structure store). |
project_id | string | — | |
project_name | string | — | Project name — an alternative to project_id; resolved to the id internally. project_id wins if both are given. |
symbol_or_equation_id | string | Yes | A doc_equations row id, OR a raw symbol / normalized-LaTeX string to track (e.g. 'E=mc^2' or '\\sigma'). |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why find_symbol_usages is rated Low
This tool performs a read-only search/lookup operation across document symbols and equations. It resolves a symbol to a normalized form and returns matching locations (element_id, document_id, ordinal, matched_text). No side effects, no mutations, no code execution, no financial impact. The explicit 'READ-ONLY' designation confirms it belongs in the Read category with low severity.
From the tool's definition Tool description explicitly states '[MAINTENANCE] ... READ-ONLY cross-reference tracking' and 'return every place that target reappears in the document' — it queries and retrieves symbol usage data without modifying, deleting, or executing operations.
Risk signalsBulk/mass operation — affects multiple targets
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs find_symbol_usages safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Meridian, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For find_symbol_usages, this is the rule to start with:
find_symbol_usages 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 Meridian, apply this rule, and every find_symbol_usages call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about find_symbol_usages
[MAINTENANCE] 9605edb0 — READ-ONLY cross-reference tracking: given a document and EITHER a doc_equations row id OR a symbol / normalized-LaTeX string, resolve it to ONE target normalized-LaTeX (an equation id uses that row's stored latex_normalized as-is; a raw string is normalized with the SAME normalize_latex that produced every stored latex_normalized) and return every place that target reappears in the document — matching equations (exact normalized-latex equality) AND paragraphs whose text textually contains the symbol. Each hit carries element_id, document_id, ordinal, matched_text, context (equation|paragraph) and an is_definition/is_reuse flag: the EARLIEST occurrence by ordinal is the definition, later ones are reuse — so a later mention can be checked to point back to the definition instead of assuming the reader remembers it. Hits are ordered by ordinal (definition first). Returns {document_id, target, resolved_from, hits:[...]} — an empty hits list (never an error) when nothing matches, or doc doesn't resolve to a stored document. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Meridian MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
find_symbol_usages accepts 4 parameters: doc, project_id, project_name, symbol_or_equation_id. Required: doc, symbol_or_equation_id. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Meridian MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for find_symbol_usages: 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 Meridian. Nothing to install.
find_symbol_usages 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 find_symbol_usages 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 find_symbol_usages. 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.
find_symbol_usages is provided by the Meridian MCP server (@meridianmcp/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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