query_emails

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why query_emails needs a policy

This tool retrieves or queries email data based on search criteria. While it accesses potentially sensitive personal information (emails), it performs no side effects—no creation, modification, deletion, or execution of external operations.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'query_emails' and description states 'Search for emails using a raw Gmail query string.' The verb 'search' and context of querying emails indicate data retrieval with no modification or deletion.

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

POLICY

How to control query_emails

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

policy.json

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

query_emails 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 Mcp Gmail — 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 Mcp Gmail tools

Write remove_label_from_message Remove a label from a message. Write compose_email compose_email Write add_label_to_message Add a label to a message. Write mark_message_read Mark a message as read by removing the UNREAD label. Write send_email Compose and send an email. Read get_emails Get the content of multiple email messages by their IDs. Read list_available_labels Get all available Gmail labels for the user. Read search_emails search_emails

All 9 Mcp Gmail 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 query_emails

What does the query_emails tool do? +

Search for emails using a raw Gmail query string. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mcp Gmail MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on query_emails? +

Register the Mcp Gmail MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for query_emails: 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 Mcp Gmail. Nothing to install.

What risk level is query_emails? +

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

Can I rate-limit query_emails? +

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

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

query_emails is provided by the Mcp Gmail MCP server (jeremyjordan/mcp-gmail). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Mcp Gmail tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →