list_decks

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why list_decks needs a policy

This tool queries and returns information about existing decks without modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. It is a straightforward read operation that has minimal blast radius if misused by an AI agent—at worst, the agent learns what decks exist in the user's Anki installation.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_decks' and description 'List all available Anki decks' indicate a retrieval operation with no side effects.

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

POLICY

How to control list_decks

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

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "list_decks": {}
  }
}

list_decks is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

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

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Anki MCP Server tools

Destructive delete_note Delete a note Execute sync Trigger a sync between the local Anki collection and AnkiWeb. Fire-and-forget: success mea Write batch_create_notes Create multiple notes at once. IMPORTANT: For optimal performance, limit batch size to 10- Write create_deck Create a new Anki deck Write create_note Create a single note. For multiple notes, use batch_create_notes instead (10-20 notes per Write create_note_type Create a new note type Write update_note Update an existing note Read get_note_info Get detailed information about a note

All 12 Anki MCP Server tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about list_decks

What does the list_decks tool do? +

List all available Anki decks. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Anki MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_decks? +

Register the Anki MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_decks: 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 Anki MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list_decks? +

list_decks is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit list_decks? +

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

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

list_decks is provided by the Anki MCP Server MCP server (nailuogg/anki-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Anki MCP Server tool call.

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

CHECK YOUR STACK →