Get emails from the inbox. Returns a list of emails with metadata.
AI agents call get_inbox_emails to retrieve information from Gmail MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves email data from the user's inbox—a read-only operation with no side effects. Severity is medium rather than low because email contents can contain sensitive personal, financial, or confidential information; an AI agent with unconstrained access could leak private communications. However, it does not create, modify, or delete data, so it is not Write or Destructive.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_inbox_emails' and description 'Get emails from the inbox. Returns a list of emails with metadata' indicate retrieval of existing data with no modification or deletion.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Get emails from the inbox. Returns a list of emails with metadata. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Gmail MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Gmail MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_inbox_emails: 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 Gmail MCP Server. Nothing to install.
get_inbox_emails 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_inbox_emails 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_inbox_emails. 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_inbox_emails is provided by the Gmail MCP Server MCP server (nisalgunawardhana/gmail-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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