Convert between article identifiers (DOI, PMID, PMCID). Accepts up to 50 IDs of a single type per request. Only resolves articles indexed in PubMed Central — for articles not in PMC, use pubmed_search_articles instead.
Part of the Pubmed server.
Free to start. No card required.
AI agents use pubmed_convert_ids to create or modify resources in Pubmed. 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.
Without a policy, an AI agent could call pubmed_convert_ids repeatedly, creating or modifying resources faster than any human could review. PolicyLayer's rate limiting ensures write operations happen at a controlled pace, and argument validation catches malformed or unexpected inputs before they reach Pubmed.
Write tools can modify data. A rate limit prevents runaway bulk operations from AI agents.
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"pubmed_convert_ids": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "pubmed_convert_ids_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}See the full Pubmed policy for all 10 tools.
These attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access pubmed_convert_ids gives an agent. Each links to the full case and the policy that stops it:
Other write tools across the catalogue. The same approach applies to each: rate-limit and validate the arguments.
Convert between article identifiers (DOI, PMID, PMCID). Accepts up to 50 IDs of a single type per request. Only resolves articles indexed in PubMed Central — for articles not in PMC, use pubmed_search_articles instead.. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Pubmed MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Pubmed MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for pubmed_convert_ids: 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 Pubmed. Nothing to install.
pubmed_convert_ids 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 pubmed_convert_ids 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 pubmed_convert_ids. 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.
pubmed_convert_ids is provided by the Pubmed MCP server (@cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 10 Pubmed tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
4,600+ MCP servers and 31,000+ tools scanned and risk-classified.