get_range

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why get_range needs a policy

This tool retrieves cell values from a spreadsheet without side effects. It is a straightforward query operation that reads data. There is no evidence of write, delete, execute, or financial operations. The blast radius of misuse is minimal—an agent could only gain information already present in the file.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_range' and description 'Get values from a range of cells' indicate retrieval of data with no modification, creation, deletion, or execution of external operations.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_range gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control get_range

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Excel MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_range:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "get_range": {}
  }
}

get_range is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register Excel MCP Server — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Excel MCP Server tools

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All 35 Excel MCP Server tools →

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Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about get_range

What does the get_range tool do? +

Get values from a range of cells. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Excel MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on get_range? +

Register the Excel MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_range: 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 Excel MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is get_range? +

get_range is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit get_range? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_range 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.

How do I block get_range completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for get_range. 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.

What MCP server provides get_range? +

get_range is provided by the Excel MCP Server MCP server (ishayoyo/excel-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Excel MCP Server tool call.

Start from Excel MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →