AI agents use ungroup_elements to create or update resources in Excalidraw — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Excalidraw environment.
Based on the tool name and the context of sibling tools (group_elements, align_elements, etc.), 'ungroup_elements' likely reverses a grouping operation on canvas elements, which is a reversible modification (Write). Since grouping can be re-applied, this is not Destructive. Confidence is lowered due to the empty description.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'ungroup_elements'; description is empty and uninformative.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access ungroup_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 ungroup_elements:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"ungroup_elements": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "ungroup_elements_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
} ungroup_elements 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.
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ungroup_elements. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Excalidraw MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Excalidraw MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for ungroup_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.
ungroup_elements is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the ungroup_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 ungroup_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.
ungroup_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.