Get all categories for a budget, grouped by category group. Includes budgeted amounts and activity.
AI agents call list_categories to retrieve information from YNAB MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and queries budget category data with no side effects. It does not create, modify, delete, or execute any operations—it only fetches information about categories and their budgeted amounts. This is a straightforward read operation with minimal security risk.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_categories' and description 'Get all categories for a budget' indicate a retrieval operation with no modification or deletion of data.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Get all categories for a budget, grouped by category group. Includes budgeted amounts and activity. It is categorised as a Read tool in the YNAB MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the YNAB MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_categories: 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 YNAB MCP Server. Nothing to install.
list_categories 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 list_categories 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 list_categories. 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.
list_categories is provided by the YNAB MCP Server MCP server (jeangnc/ynab-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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