semantic_search

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why semantic_search needs a policy

This tool retrieves or queries data from the Rijksmuseum collection based on semantic search—a read operation with no side effects. It does not modify, delete, execute arbitrary operations, or involve financial transactions. The museum exploration context and sibling tools confirm this is purely informational data retrieval.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'semantic_search' and description indicate a query operation for searching artwork collections. The description begins 'Use when the user has a free-text concept' which is incomplete but shows this is a search/retrieval function.

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

POLICY

How to control semantic_search

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

policy.json

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

semantic_search 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 Rijksmuseum Mcp+ — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Rijksmuseum Mcp+ tools

Write report_audit_findings Report audit findings comparing parser output against raw provenance text Write report_event_reclassification Report events that should be reclassified as non-provenance or merged with adjacent events Write report_event_splits Report events that should be split into multiple atomic provenance events Write report_field_corrections Report field-level corrections for provenance events with wrong/truncated location or miss Write report_party_disambiguation Report the correct party decomposition for a merged/artifact party name Write report_party_extraction Extract parties (sender, receiver, agent) from provenance events where the parser found no Write report_pattern_findings Report pattern analysis for unknown provenance segments Write report_position_enrichment Report inferred party positions and transfer categories for ambiguous provenance events

All 24 Rijksmuseum 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 semantic_search

What does the semantic_search tool do? +

Use when the user has a free-text concept (. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Rijksmuseum Mcp+ MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on semantic_search? +

Register the Rijksmuseum Mcp+ MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for semantic_search: 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 Rijksmuseum Mcp+. Nothing to install.

What risk level is semantic_search? +

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

Can I rate-limit semantic_search? +

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

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

semantic_search is provided by the Rijksmuseum Mcp+ MCP server (kintopp/rijksmuseum-mcp-plus). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Rijksmuseum Mcp+ tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →