Place an image with advanced options
AI agents use place_image to create or update resources in Indesign — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Indesign environment.
Placing an image into a document is a content modification operation. While it creates a new element in the document (write operation), it is reversible and does not permanently destroy data. The operation modifies the document state but can be undone. Severity is medium because misuse could result in unintended document modifications, but the impact is limited to the active document and easily recoverable.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'place_image' and description 'Place an image with advanced options' indicate creation/modification of document content. This modifies the InDesign document by inserting visual elements, which is reversible through undo or deletion.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access place_image gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Indesign, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for place_image:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"place_image": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "place_image_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}place_image 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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Place an image with advanced options. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Indesign MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Indesign MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for place_image: 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 Indesign. Nothing to install.
place_image 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 place_image 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 place_image. 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.
place_image is provided by the Indesign MCP server (lucdesign/indesign-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Indesign, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
36 Indesign tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.