create · Obsidian Local MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What create does on Obsidian Local

AI agents use create to create or update resources in Obsidian Local — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Obsidian Local environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why create needs a policy

This tool creates a new note, which is a reversible modification operation. It does not delete or destroy existing data (which would be Destructive), nor does it execute arbitrary code (which would be Execute). While it modifies the vault structure, the action can be undone by deleting the created note.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'create' combined with description 'Create a new note in the vault' explicitly indicates data creation.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

create Rate-limited

create 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": {
    "create": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "create_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 Obsidian Local, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about create

What does the create tool do? +

Create a new note in the vault. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Obsidian Local MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on create? +

Register the Obsidian Local MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for create: 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 Obsidian Local. Nothing to install.

What risk level is create? +

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

Can I rate-limit create? +

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

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

create is provided by the Obsidian Local MCP server (matthewsuazo/obsidian-local-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.