unpublish-element · Mcp Dev MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What unpublish-element does on Mcp Dev

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why unpublish-element needs a policy

Unpublishing content removes it from public visibility but is typically reversible (the content can be republished), so it falls under Write rather than Destructive. However, the blast radius is high because unpublishing content makes it immediately unavailable to end users, which could impact live production websites significantly if misused by an AI agent.

From the tool's definition Unpublishes an element by Id

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

unpublish-element Rate-limited

unpublish-element 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": {
    "unpublish-element": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "unpublish-element_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 Mcp Dev, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about unpublish-element

What does the unpublish-element tool do? +

Unpublishes an element by Id. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Mcp Dev MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on unpublish-element? +

Register the Mcp Dev MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for unpublish-element: 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 Dev. Nothing to install.

What risk level is unpublish-element? +

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

Can I rate-limit unpublish-element? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the unpublish-element 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 unpublish-element completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for unpublish-element. 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 unpublish-element? +

unpublish-element is provided by the Mcp Dev MCP server (@umbraco-cms/mcp-dev). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.