manage_decks
Create, delete, list, inspect, move cards between, and configure Anki decks. Use this for deck-level organization, not for editing flashcard fields, note types, or study answers. Create, delete, move, and config operations mutate the collection; list and stats/config reads do not. Set
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-arielbk-anki-mcp/manage-decks.md
What manage_decks does on Anki
AI agents call manage_decks to permanently remove resources in Anki, typically in cleanup and lifecycle workflows. It does its job in a single call, and there is no undo.
Why manage_decks is rated Critical
The tool explicitly supports deleting decks, which is irreversible destruction of data. It also supports creating, moving, and configuring decks (Write-level operations), but since delete is included and is irreversible, the most severe applicable category is Destructive. High severity because deleting a deck could permanently remove all cards within it.
From the tool's definition Create, delete, list, inspect, move cards between, and configure Anki decks... Create, delete, move, and config operations mutate the collection
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs manage_decks safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Anki, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For manage_decks, this is the rule to start with:
manage_decks is removed from the agent's tool list entirely, so the agent never calls it. The rest of the server keeps working.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Anki, apply this rule, and every manage_decks call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about manage_decks
Create, delete, list, inspect, move cards between, and configure Anki decks. Use this for deck-level organization, not for editing flashcard fields, note types, or study answers. Create, delete, move, and config operations mutate the collection; list and stats/config reads do not. Set. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the Anki MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.
Register the Anki MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for manage_decks: 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 Anki. Nothing to install.
manage_decks is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the manage_decks 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 manage_decks. 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.
manage_decks is provided by the Anki MCP server (@arielbk/anki-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
More on Anki, and thousands of servers like it.
Across the catalogue