search · Things App MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What search does on Things App MCP

AI agents invoke search to trigger actions in Things App MCP. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why search needs a policy

This tool triggers an external application action (opening the search screen in Things 3) via the Things URL scheme, rather than purely retrieving data programmatically. It causes a UI/application state change in Things, making it an Execute operation. The blast radius is low since it only opens a search screen and doesn't modify or delete data.

From the tool's definition Open the search screen in Things with an optional search query

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

search Rate-limited

search stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "search": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "search_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-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 search

What does the search tool do? +

Open the search screen in Things with an optional search query. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Things App MCP MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on search? +

Register the Things App MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search: 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 search? +

search is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit search? +

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

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

search 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.