Low Risk

search_emails

Search emails using UIDs with advanced filters. Returns UIDs which are permanent identifiers that don\

How to control search_emails ↓

What search_emails does on Yahoo Mail

AI agents call search_emails to retrieve information from Yahoo Mail without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Low Risk

Why search_emails needs a policy

The search_emails tool performs information retrieval only. It searches and returns UIDs (unique identifiers) matching filter criteria, with no side effects. Although the server provides destructive tools (delete_emails, archive_emails), this specific tool is purely Read-category.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Search emails using UIDs with advanced filters. Returns UIDs' — a query operation that retrieves identifiers without modifying data.

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

How to control search_emails

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

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "search_emails": {}
  }
}

search_emails is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

  1. Create a free account and register Yahoo Mail — nothing to install.
  2. Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
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Related tools and policies

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Questions about search_emails

What does the search_emails tool do? +

Search emails using UIDs with advanced filters. Returns UIDs which are permanent identifiers that don\. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Yahoo Mail MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on search_emails? +

Register the Yahoo Mail MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_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 Yahoo Mail. Nothing to install.

What risk level is search_emails? +

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

Can I rate-limit search_emails? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_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 search_emails completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for search_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 search_emails? +

search_emails is provided by the Yahoo Mail MCP server (jtokib/yahoo-mail-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Yahoo Mail tool call.

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

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11 Yahoo Mail tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.

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