This record as markdown: /tools/io-tinyfn-tinyfn/sort-items.md
What sort_items does on TinyFn
AI agents call sort_items to retrieve information from TinyFn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
items | string | Yes | Comma-separated items to sort |
order | string | — | Sort order (asc or desc) |
numeric | boolean | — | Sort as numbers |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why sort_items is rated Low
Sorting is a deterministic computational operation with no side effects—it retrieves and reorganizes existing data but does not create, modify, delete, or execute external operations. This aligns with the 'Read' category for operations that query or process data without persistent changes.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'sort_items' and description 'Sort a list of items' indicate a read-only operation that orders data without modifying, creating, or deleting it.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs sort_items safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and TinyFn, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For sort_items, this is the rule to start with:
sort_items 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 TinyFn, apply this rule, and every sort_items call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about sort_items
Sort a list of items. It is categorised as a Read tool in the TinyFn MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
sort_items accepts 3 parameters: items, order, numeric. Required: items. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the TinyFn MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for sort_items: 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 TinyFn. Nothing to install.
sort_items 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 sort_items 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 sort_items. 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.
sort_items is provided by the TinyFn MCP server (https://api.tinyfn.io/mcp/all/). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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