manage_flashcards
Create, update, delete, search, inspect, and tag Anki flashcards through one high-level note/card workflow. Use this for note lifecycle work and card lookup, not for deck structure, note-type schema changes, or study scheduling. Mutating operations change the local Anki collection immediately; se...
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What manage_flashcards does on Anki
AI agents use manage_flashcards to create or update resources in Anki, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Anki environment.
Why manage_flashcards is rated Medium
While the tool includes delete functionality (which would normally warrant Destructive classification), the primary framing is as a high-level 'note/card workflow' for 'create, update, delete, search' operations. The delete capability exists but appears to be one option among several in a reversible-first workflow.
From the tool's definition Tool description explicitly states 'Create, update, delete' and 'Mutating operations change the local Anki collection immediately.' The tool performs both reversible writes (create, update) and irreversible deletes, but the description emphasizes the full…
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs manage_flashcards 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_flashcards, this is the rule to start with:
manage_flashcards stays usable, but capped: an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Anki, apply this rule, and every manage_flashcards call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about manage_flashcards
Create, update, delete, search, inspect, and tag Anki flashcards through one high-level note/card workflow. Use this for note lifecycle work and card lookup, not for deck structure, note-type schema changes, or study scheduling. Mutating operations change the local Anki collection immediately; searches are read-only. Choose. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Anki MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Anki MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for manage_flashcards: 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_flashcards is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the manage_flashcards 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_flashcards. 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_flashcards 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.
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