notebook_delete_cell

THE RISK

Critical Risk

Why notebook_delete_cell needs a policy

Deletion of notebook cells is a destructive operation that cannot be undone through the tool itself. While the severity is not critical (data may be recoverable from backups or undo history in the notebook application), it represents irreversible data loss from the notebook's current state. This falls clearly into the Destructive category rather than Write, as the operation cannot be reversed by the tool.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'notebook_delete_cell' and description 'Deletes a specific cell' directly indicate irreversible deletion of notebook content.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access notebook_delete_cell gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control notebook_delete_cell

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Claude Code Notebook MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for notebook_delete_cell:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "hide": [
    "notebook_delete_cell"
  ]
}

notebook_delete_cell disappears from the agent's tool list entirely, and any attempt to call it is denied. The rest of the server keeps working.

Create a free account and register Claude Code Notebook MCP — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

RESTRICT THIS TOOL →

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EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Claude Code Notebook MCP tools

Destructive notebook_delete Deletes an existing notebook file Write notebook_clear_all_outputs Clears outputs and execution counts for all code cells Write notebook_clear_cell_outputs Clears the outputs and execution count of a specific cell Write notebook_add_cell Adds a new code or markdown cell after a specified index Write notebook_bulk_add_cells Adds multiple cells to a notebook in a single operation Write notebook_change_cell_type Changes a cell Write notebook_create Creates a new, empty notebook file Write notebook_duplicate_cell Duplicates a cell multiple times (default: once)

All 29 Claude Code Notebook MCP tools →

Destructive tools on other servers

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Go deeper

Critical-risk tools in Claude Code Notebook MCP → Every critical-risk tool this server exposes, in one view.
All critical-risk MCP tools → Every critical-risk tool across the catalogue, and the policy pattern that contains them.
The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Blast radius → How much damage one compromised or confused agent can do — and how to bound it.
Tool call approval → Approval gates on individual tool calls: auto-allow, prompt, or deny.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about notebook_delete_cell

What does the notebook_delete_cell tool do? +

Deletes a specific cell. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the Claude Code Notebook MCP MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.

How do I enforce a policy on notebook_delete_cell? +

Register the Claude Code Notebook MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for notebook_delete_cell: 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 Claude Code Notebook MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is notebook_delete_cell? +

notebook_delete_cell is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.

Can I rate-limit notebook_delete_cell? +

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

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

notebook_delete_cell is provided by the Claude Code Notebook MCP server (mstampfer/claude-code-notebook-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Claude Code Notebook MCP tool call.

Start from Claude Code Notebook MCP, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

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