Get statistics about the vault (total notes, tags, etc.)
AI agents call vault_stats to retrieve information from Obsidian MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool queries and returns aggregate information about vault metadata (note counts, tag counts, etc.) without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. It is a pure read operation with minimal risk if misused by an AI agent.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'vault_stats' and description 'Get statistics about the vault (total notes, tags, etc.)' indicate data retrieval with no modification or side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access vault_stats gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Obsidian MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for vault_stats:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"vault_stats": {}
}
}vault_stats is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Get statistics about the vault (total notes, tags, etc.). It is categorised as a Read tool in the Obsidian MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Obsidian MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for vault_stats: 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 Obsidian MCP Server. Nothing to install.
vault_stats is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the vault_stats 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.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for vault_stats. 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.
vault_stats is provided by the Obsidian MCP Server MCP server (kynlos/obsidian-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Obsidian MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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120 Obsidian MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.