send_smtp_email · Sitecore Send MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What send_smtp_email does on Sitecore Send

AI agents invoke send_smtp_email to trigger actions in Sitecore Send. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why send_smtp_email needs a policy

Sending email via SMTP constitutes executing an external operation with real-world side effects (delivering messages to recipients). It is not merely writing data to a store — it triggers an irreversible external communication. While not financial or destructive in the data sense, it carries high blast radius if misused (spam, phishing, mass email abuse), placing it firmly in Execute at high severity.

From the tool's definition "Send an email using SMTP" — triggers an external email delivery operation via SMTP protocol

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

send_smtp_email Rate-limited

send_smtp_email stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "send_smtp_email": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "send_smtp_email_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Sitecore Send, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about send_smtp_email

What does the send_smtp_email tool do? +

Send an email using SMTP. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Sitecore Send MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on send_smtp_email? +

Register the Sitecore Send MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for send_smtp_email: 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 Sitecore Send. Nothing to install.

What risk level is send_smtp_email? +

send_smtp_email is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit send_smtp_email? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the send_smtp_email 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 send_smtp_email completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for send_smtp_email. 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 send_smtp_email? +

send_smtp_email is provided by the Sitecore Send MCP server (izharikov/send-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.