zk_find_similar_notes

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why zk_find_similar_notes needs a policy

This tool performs semantic analysis to find and return similar notes—a read-only discovery operation. It does not create, modify, delete, or execute any external actions. The blast radius of misuse is minimal since it only exposes existing note relationships through similarity matching.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'zk_find_similar_notes' and description 'Discover notes with similar content using semantic similarity analysis' indicate a query/search operation that retrieves data without modification or side effects.

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

POLICY

How to control zk_find_similar_notes

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

policy.json

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

zk_find_similar_notes 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 Zettelkasten — 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 Zettelkasten tools

Destructive zk_delete_note Permanently delete a note and all its associated links from the Zettelkasten. Destructive zk_remove_link Remove an existing link between two notes. Execute zk_rebuild_index Rebuild the database index from markdown files after manual file edits. Write zk_create_link Create a semantic link between two notes to build knowledge connections. Write zk_create_note Create a new atomic Zettelkasten note with a unique ID, content, and optional tags. Write zk_update_note Update the title, content, type, or tags of an existing note. Read zk_find_central_notes Identify the most connected notes that serve as knowledge hubs. Read zk_find_orphaned_notes Find isolated notes that have no links to or from other notes.

All 14 Zettelkasten 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 zk_find_similar_notes

What does the zk_find_similar_notes tool do? +

Discover notes with similar content using semantic similarity analysis. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Zettelkasten MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on zk_find_similar_notes? +

Register the Zettelkasten MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for zk_find_similar_notes: 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 Zettelkasten. Nothing to install.

What risk level is zk_find_similar_notes? +

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

Can I rate-limit zk_find_similar_notes? +

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

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

zk_find_similar_notes is provided by the Zettelkasten MCP server (liam-deacon/zettelkasten-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Zettelkasten tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →