transcode · Sensory MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What transcode does on Sensory

AI agents invoke transcode to trigger actions in Sensory. 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 transcode needs a policy

This tool executes a conversion/transcoding process between sensory encoding formats. It is not a simple read (no data retrieval), not a write to persistent storage, and not destructive or financial. It actively runs a transformation operation whose output depends on the input arguments and target encoding, placing it in the Execute category.

From the tool's definition "Convert between different sensory encodings" — the tool performs a transformation/conversion operation across multiple encoding formats (SSTV, Morse, Braille, etc.)

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

transcode Rate-limited

transcode 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": {
    "transcode": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "transcode_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 Sensory, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about transcode

What does the transcode tool do? +

Convert between different sensory encodings. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Sensory MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on transcode? +

Register the Sensory MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for transcode: 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 Sensory. Nothing to install.

What risk level is transcode? +

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

Can I rate-limit transcode? +

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

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

transcode is provided by the Sensory MCP server (jaspertvdm/mcp-server-sensory). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.