Send an email. For replies, provide reply_to_message_id from the original message.
AI agents use email_send to create or update resources in Apple Shortcuts — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Apple Shortcuts environment.
Sending emails is a reversible write operation that creates new data (messages) in email systems. It is not destructive (emails can be deleted), not financial (no money moves), and not execute (no arbitrary code or system commands). However, severity is high because an AI agent could spam, impersonate, or send phishing emails at scale with access to this tool, causing reputational and security harm.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'email_send' and description 'Send an email' clearly indicate creation of new email messages. The mention of 'reply_to_message_id' for replies confirms this creates new message data in email systems.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access email_send gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Apple Shortcuts, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for email_send:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"email_send": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "email_send_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}email_send 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.
Free to start. No card required.
Send an email. For replies, provide reply_to_message_id from the original message. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Apple Shortcuts MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Apple Shortcuts MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for email_send: 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 Apple Shortcuts. Nothing to install.
email_send 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 email_send 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 email_send. 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.
email_send is provided by the Apple Shortcuts MCP server (@mindstone/mcp-server-apple-shortcuts). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Apple Shortcuts, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
423 Apple Shortcuts tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.