AI agents call query_elements to retrieve information from Excalidraw without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Based on the naming convention 'query_*', this tool appears to retrieve or search element data from the diagram without modifying state. The description is empty, which lowers confidence slightly, but contextually among sibling tools that include create, delete, align, and group operations, 'query_elements' most logically performs a retrieval function (Read category).
From the tool's definition Tool name 'query_elements' indicates a read operation for retrieving element data from the Excalidraw canvas. No destructive or modifying operations are implied by the name.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access query_elements gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Excalidraw, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for query_elements:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"query_elements": {}
}
}query_elements is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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query_elements. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Excalidraw MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Excalidraw MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for query_elements: 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 Excalidraw. Nothing to install.
query_elements 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 query_elements 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 query_elements. 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.
query_elements is provided by the Excalidraw MCP server (lesleslie/excalidraw-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Excalidraw, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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17 Excalidraw tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.