List notes matching a pattern. Returns path, name, type, and modified date. Use for: - Check if a note exists before creating (avoid duplicates) - Get all entity names + aliases: list_notes(
AI agents call list_notes to retrieve information from Grove without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool performs a query/list operation that retrieves information without side effects. It only returns metadata about existing notes and does not modify any data. Typical 'Read' category operation appropriate for an AI client to discover vault contents safely.
From the tool's definition Tool 'list_notes' is described as listing notes matching a pattern and returning metadata (path, name, type, modified date).
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_notes gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Grove, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_notes:
{
"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.
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List notes matching a pattern. Returns path, name, type, and modified date. Use for: - Check if a note exists before creating (avoid duplicates) - Get all entity names + aliases: list_notes(. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Grove MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Grove 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 Grove. Nothing to install.
list_notes 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_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.
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.
list_notes is provided by the Grove MCP server (jmilinovich/grove). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Grove, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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7 Grove tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.