add-todo · Things App MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What add-todo does on Things App MCP

AI agents use add-todo to create or update resources in Things App MCP — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Things App MCP environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why add-todo needs a policy

This tool creates new data (to-do items) in the Things application, which is reversible (todos can be deleted or modified later). It does not execute arbitrary code, delete data irreversibly, or move money. The severity is medium because creating many unwanted tasks could clutter the user's task management system and require manual cleanup, but the impact is bounded and reversible.

From the tool's definition Tool description states "Create a new to-do in Things" and "Uses the Things URL scheme" for creating tasks with title, notes, dates, tags, checklist items, project/area assignments.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

add-todo Rate-limited

add-todo 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.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "add-todo": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "add-todo_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Things App MCP, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about add-todo

What does the add-todo tool do? +

Create a new to-do in Things. Supports setting title, notes, when/deadline dates, tags, checklist items, and assigning to projects/areas. Uses the Things URL scheme. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Things App MCP MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on add-todo? +

Register the Things App MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for add-todo: 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 Things App MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is add-todo? +

add-todo is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit add-todo? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the add-todo 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 add-todo completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for add-todo. 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 add-todo? +

add-todo is provided by the Things App MCP server (lucas-flatwhite/things-app-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.