discourse_create_category · Discourse MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What discourse_create_category does on Discourse MCP

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why discourse_create_category needs a policy

This tool creates a new category, which is a reversible write operation (categories can be deleted or modified later). It does not execute arbitrary code, delete data irreversibly, or move money. The severity is medium because categories are structural entities; creating unwanted categories could clutter the forum and require administrative cleanup, but the operation is not catastrophic.

From the tool's definition Tool description explicitly states 'Create a new category' and 'Requires admin API key and write permissions.' The verb 'create' and context of creating a new persistent entity in Discourse confirms a write operation.

Risk signalsAdmin/system-level operation

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

discourse_create_category Rate-limited

discourse_create_category 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": {
    "discourse_create_category": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "discourse_create_category_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 Discourse MCP, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about discourse_create_category

What does the discourse_create_category tool do? +

Create a new category in Discourse. Requires admin API key and write permissions. Rate limited to 1 request per second. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Discourse 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 discourse_create_category? +

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

What risk level is discourse_create_category? +

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

Can I rate-limit discourse_create_category? +

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

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

discourse_create_category is provided by the Discourse MCP server (king-of-the-grackles/discourse-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.