update-records · Salesforce MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What update-records does on Salesforce MCP

AI agents use update-records to create or update resources in Salesforce MCP — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Salesforce MCP environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why update-records needs a policy

This tool modifies data reversibly by updating existing Salesforce records. It does not delete data (which would be Destructive) or move money (Financial). While it can cause significant business impact if misused (e.g., updating critical customer or financial records), the change is theoretically reversible through subsequent updates or audit logs.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'update-records' and description 'Update records' indicate modification of existing data in Salesforce. The tool is part of a Salesforce data management suite with permissions to interact with the Salesforce API.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

update-records Rate-limited

update-records 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": {
    "update-records": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "update-records_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 Salesforce MCP, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about update-records

What does the update-records tool do? +

Update records. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Salesforce MCP MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on update-records? +

Register the Salesforce MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for update-records: 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 Salesforce MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is update-records? +

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

Can I rate-limit update-records? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the update-records 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 update-records completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for update-records. 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 update-records? +

update-records is provided by the Salesforce MCP server (jpmonette/salesforce-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.