archive_trail · Clawmarks MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What archive_trail does on Clawmarks

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why archive_trail needs a policy

This tool modifies the state of a trail by marking it as archived (inactive), which is reversible—the trail can be unarchived if needed. The change does not permanently delete data or prevent recovery, making it a Write operation rather than Destructive. The scope is limited to marking metadata on a local JSON knowledge graph, affecting only the user's own exploration records with minimal blast radius.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'archive_trail' and description 'Archive a trail (mark it as no longer active)' indicates a status change operation on stored data.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

archive_trail Rate-limited

archive_trail 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": {
    "archive_trail": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "archive_trail_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 Clawmarks, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about archive_trail

What does the archive_trail tool do? +

Archive a trail (mark it as no longer active). It is categorised as a Write tool in the Clawmarks MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on archive_trail? +

Register the Clawmarks MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for archive_trail: 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 Clawmarks. Nothing to install.

What risk level is archive_trail? +

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

Can I rate-limit archive_trail? +

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

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

archive_trail is provided by the Clawmarks MCP server (mrilikecoding/clawmarks). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.