Recursively search for files and directories matching a pattern in your notes directory.
AI agents call search_files to retrieve information from MCP Notes without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
search_files performs information retrieval only by matching patterns against existing files and directories. It returns search results without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. This is a classic Read operation with minimal blast radius—the worst outcome would be information disclosure of file paths/structure the user already owns.
From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Recursively search for files and directories matching a pattern' - a pure search/query operation with no modification capability.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access search_files gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and MCP Notes, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for search_files:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"search_files": {}
}
}search_files is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Recursively search for files and directories matching a pattern in your notes directory. It is categorised as a Read tool in the MCP Notes MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the MCP Notes MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_files: 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 MCP Notes. Nothing to install.
search_files is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_files 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 search_files. 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.
search_files is provided by the MCP Notes MCP server (markacianfrani/mcp-notes). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from MCP Notes, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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9 MCP Notes tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.