conversations_archive · Slack MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What conversations_archive does on Slack

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why conversations_archive needs a policy

Archiving a conversation changes its state and visibility within the workspace—it is a write operation that modifies data. While technically reversible (Slack allows unarchiving), it materially affects how team members interact with the channel.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'conversations_archive' and description 'Archive a conversation' indicates the tool modifies conversation state by archiving it. This is a reversible change (conversations can be unarchived in Slack).

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

conversations_archive Rate-limited

conversations_archive 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": {
    "conversations_archive": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "conversations_archive_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 Slack, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about conversations_archive

What does the conversations_archive tool do? +

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

How do I enforce a policy on conversations_archive? +

Register the Slack MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for conversations_archive: 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 Slack. Nothing to install.

What risk level is conversations_archive? +

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

Can I rate-limit conversations_archive? +

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

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

conversations_archive is provided by the Slack MCP server (karbassi/slack-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.