wayback_check
Check if a URL has been archived by the Wayback Machine and get the closest snapshot.
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-malamutemayhem-unclick-mcp-server/wayback-check.md
What wayback_check does on UnClick
AI agents call wayback_check to retrieve information from UnClick 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
url | string | Yes | URL to check for archived snapshots. |
timestamp | string | — | Target timestamp (YYYYMMDDhhmmss) for closest snapshot. |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why wayback_check is rated Low
This tool queries the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine to retrieve archived snapshots of URLs. It performs information retrieval only, with no side effects, data modification, code execution, or destructive capabilities. The minimal risk comes from potential reconnaissance of archived content, but this is inherent to the public Wayback Machine service itself.
From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Check if a URL has been archived' and 'get the closest snapshot' — purely retrieval operations with no modification or execution capability. The Wayback Machine API is a public read-only service.
Risk signalsAccepts URL/endpoint input (url)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs wayback_check safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and UnClick, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For wayback_check, this is the rule to start with:
wayback_check 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 UnClick, apply this rule, and every wayback_check call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about wayback_check
Check if a URL has been archived by the Wayback Machine and get the closest snapshot. It is categorised as a Read tool in the UnClick MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
wayback_check accepts 2 parameters: url, timestamp. Required: url. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the UnClick MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for wayback_check: 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 UnClick. Nothing to install.
wayback_check 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 wayback_check 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 wayback_check. 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.
wayback_check is provided by the UnClick MCP server (@unclick/mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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