hierarchical_place

What hierarchical_place does on KiCAD-MCP-Server

AI agents use hierarchical_place to create or update resources in KiCAD-MCP-Server, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your KiCAD-MCP-Server environment.

Why hierarchical_place is rated Medium

This tool creates or modifies board organization by clustering components—a Write operation rather than Read (no side effects implied), Execute (no arbitrary code/external triggers), or Destructive (changes are reversible in KiCAD). Severity is medium because incorrect clustering could degrade board manufacturing quality or create design issues, but the impact is limited to a single project and can be corrected.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'hierarchical_place' and description 'Cluster a board' indicate modification of board layout structure. 'Cluster' implies reorganizing or grouping components on the PCB, which modifies the design but is reversible through undo/redesign.

The rule that runs hierarchical_place safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and KiCAD-MCP-Server, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For hierarchical_place, this is the rule to start with:

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "hierarchical_place": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "hierarchical_place_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Questions about hierarchical_place