move · Obsidian Local MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What move does on Obsidian Local

AI agents use move 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 move needs a policy

Moving or renaming files modifies the vault's structure and the locations of notes reversibly. While not irreversible, this is more impactful than simple data creation (Write category). It does not delete data (Destructive), execute arbitrary code (Execute), or involve financial operations.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'move' and description 'Move or rename a file in the vault' indicate file modification operations that change file locations and names within the Obsidian vault.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

move Rate-limited

move 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": {
    "move": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "move_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 move

What does the move tool do? +

Move or rename a file 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 move? +

Register the Obsidian Local MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for move: 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 move? +

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

Can I rate-limit move? +

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

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

move 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.