Full-text search across all indexed files. Supports regex, glob file patterns, language filter. Use for finding strings, comments, TODOs, config values, error messages — anything not captured as a symbol. For symbol search (functions, classes) use search instead. Read-only. Returns JSON: { matche...
AI agents call search_text 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 is a passive data retrieval tool with no side effects. It searches indexed source code files and returns results but does not create, modify, delete, or execute anything. The read-only designation and return-only behavior confirm Read category with low severity—misuse would be limited to information disclosure, not system damage.
From the tool's definition Tool explicitly described as 'Full-text search' and 'Read-only' that returns matches without modifying data. Supports regex, glob patterns, language filters. Returns JSON with file, line, text, context fields.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access search_text 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 search_text:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"search_text": {}
}
}search_text is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Full-text search across all indexed files. Supports regex, glob file patterns, language filter. Use for finding strings, comments, TODOs, config values, error messages — anything not captured as a symbol. For symbol search (functions, classes) use search instead. Read-only. Returns JSON: { matches: [{ file, line, text, context }], total_matches }. Set. 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 search_text: 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.
search_text 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 search_text 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 search_text. 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.
search_text 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.