follow · Nostr Tools for AI Agents MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What follow does on Nostr Tools for AI Agents

AI agents use follow to create or update resources in Nostr Tools for AI Agents — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Nostr Tools for AI Agents environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why follow needs a policy

This tool modifies the user's contact list by adding a new follow relationship. It is a reversible write operation (the follow can be undone by unfollowing), affecting social graph data on the Nostr network. Misuse could lead to unwanted follows or social graph manipulation, but it does not delete data, execute code, or involve financial transactions.

From the tool's definition Follow a pubkey (updates kind 3 contact list)

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

follow Rate-limited

follow stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "follow": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "follow_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Nostr Tools for AI Agents, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about follow

What does the follow tool do? +

Follow a pubkey (updates kind 3 contact list). It is categorised as a Write tool in the Nostr Tools for AI Agents MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on follow? +

Register the Nostr Tools for AI Agents MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for follow: 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 Nostr Tools for AI Agents. Nothing to install.

What risk level is follow? +

follow is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit follow? +

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

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

follow is provided by the Nostr Tools for AI Agents MCP server (jorgenclaw/nostr-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.