Session history: all tool calls made, files read, zero-result searches, and duplicate queries. Use to avoid repeating work. For a compact snapshot use get_session_snapshot instead. Read-only. Returns JSON: { calls, filesRead, zeroResults, duplicates }.
AI agents call get_session_journal to retrieve information from Trace without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool purely retrieves and queries session state information for reference purposes. There are no side effects, no data modifications, no code execution, and no irreversible actions. It is a straightforward Read operation used to avoid duplicate work by inspecting prior tool invocations and search results.
From the tool's definition Tool description explicitly states "Read-only" and "Returns JSON: { calls, filesRead, zeroResults, duplicates }". It retrieves session history and metadata about prior operations without modifying or executing anything.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_session_journal gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Trace, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_session_journal:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_session_journal": {}
}
}get_session_journal is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Session history: all tool calls made, files read, zero-result searches, and duplicate queries. Use to avoid repeating work. For a compact snapshot use get_session_snapshot instead. Read-only. Returns JSON: { calls, filesRead, zeroResults, duplicates }. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Trace MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Trace MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_session_journal: 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 Trace. Nothing to install.
get_session_journal 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 get_session_journal 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 get_session_journal. 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.
get_session_journal is provided by the Trace MCP server (nikolai-vysotskyi/trace-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 178 Trace tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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178 Trace tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.