setup_guidance

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why setup_guidance needs a policy

The tool retrieves instructional guidance content for a setup phase. It provides information/patterns to the AI assistant rather than executing actions, modifying data, or causing side effects. Similar to other *_guidance tools on this server, it is a read/query operation returning structured workflow instructions.

From the tool's definition "Get guidance for the SETUP phase - initialize workflow and establish patterns"

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

POLICY

How to control setup_guidance

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

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "setup_guidance": {}
  }
}

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

Create a free account and register Structured Workflow MCP — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

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EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Structured Workflow MCP tools

Execute build_custom_workflow Build a custom workflow with full control over phases and configuration. Use specific work Execute refactor_workflow Start a structured refactoring workflow to improve existing code without changing function Execute tdd_workflow Start a Test-Driven Development workflow with Red-Green-Refactor cycles Execute test_guidance Get MANDATORY guidance for the TEST phase - execute tests and validate functionality after Write phase_output Record the output/results when completing a workflow phase - REQUIRES ACTUAL OUTPUT ARTIFA Write test_workflow Start a focused workflow for writing or improving test coverage Write create_feature_workflow Start a structured workflow for adding new functionality with integrated testing Read audit_inventory_guidance Get guidance for the AUDIT_INVENTORY phase - analyze code and catalog changes

All 20 Structured Workflow MCP tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about setup_guidance

What does the setup_guidance tool do? +

Get guidance for the SETUP phase - initialize workflow and establish patterns. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Structured Workflow MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on setup_guidance? +

Register the Structured Workflow MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for setup_guidance: 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 Structured Workflow MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is setup_guidance? +

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

Can I rate-limit setup_guidance? +

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

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

setup_guidance is provided by the Structured Workflow MCP server (kingdomseed/structured-workflow). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Structured Workflow MCP tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →