Returns context consumption statistics for the current session. Shows total bytes returned to context, breakdown by tool, call counts, estimated token usage, and context savings ratio.
AI agents call ctx_stats to retrieve information from Context Mode without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
ctx_stats is a pure read operation that queries and reports session metrics. It retrieves information about context usage without creating, modifying, or deleting any data. The tool provides telemetry and statistics only, making it a straightforward Read category classification with low severity risk.
From the tool's definition Tool returns statistics and metrics ('context consumption statistics', 'total bytes returned', 'breakdown by tool', 'call counts', 'estimated token usage', 'context savings ratio').
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access ctx_stats gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Context Mode, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for ctx_stats:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"ctx_stats": {}
}
}ctx_stats is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Returns context consumption statistics for the current session. Shows total bytes returned to context, breakdown by tool, call counts, estimated token usage, and context savings ratio. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Context Mode MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Context Mode MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for ctx_stats: 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 Context Mode. Nothing to install.
ctx_stats 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 ctx_stats 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 ctx_stats. 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.
ctx_stats is provided by the Context Mode MCP server (mksglu/context-mode). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Context Mode, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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11 Context Mode tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.