list_notes

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why list_notes needs a policy

This tool retrieves and queries note metadata from an Obsidian vault without creating, modifying, or deleting any data. It has no side effects beyond returning information to the caller, making it a straightforward Read operation. The 'legacy with search support' notation indicates it is a listing/filtering utility rather than an action tool.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'List all notes in the vault' which is a query/retrieval operation. The term 'list' is explicitly mentioned as a Read-category example in the classification rules.

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

POLICY

How to control list_notes

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

policy.json

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

list_notes 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 Obsidian Local REST API 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 Obsidian Local REST API MCP Server tools

Destructive delete_item Delete a file or directory from the vault Write create_or_update_note Create or update a note with content and frontmatter. Performs upsert operation - creates Write write_file Write file content with different modes: overwrite (default), append, or prepend. Handles Read find_related_notes Find notes related to a given note based on shared tags, links, or backlinks Read get_daily_note Get daily note for a specific date. Handles common daily note naming conventions and file Read get_metadata_keys Get all available frontmatter keys from notes Read get_metadata_values Get all unique values for a specific frontmatter key Read get_note Get a specific note with its content and metadata (legacy)

All 13 Obsidian Local REST API MCP Server tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

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 list_notes

What does the list_notes tool do? +

List all notes in the vault with optional search filter (legacy with search support). It is categorised as a Read tool in the Obsidian Local REST API MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_notes? +

Register the Obsidian Local REST API MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_notes: 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 Obsidian Local REST API MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list_notes? +

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

Can I rate-limit list_notes? +

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

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

list_notes is provided by the Obsidian Local REST API MCP Server MCP server (j-shelfwood/obsidian-local-rest-api-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Obsidian Local REST API MCP Server tool call.

Start from Obsidian Local REST API 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 →