AI agents use move_email to create or update resources in IMAP MCP Server — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your IMAP MCP Server environment.
Moving an email to another folder is a reversible write operation—it modifies the location/state of data without permanently deleting it. The user can move the email back or to a different folder. This is less severe than Destructive (which would be permanent deletion) but more impactful than Read operations.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'move_email' and description 'Move email to another folder' indicate a modification operation that changes email organization state.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access move_email gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and IMAP MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for move_email:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"move_email": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "move_email_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}move_email stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Move email to another folder. It is categorised as a Write tool in the IMAP MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the IMAP MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for move_email: 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 IMAP MCP Server. Nothing to install.
move_email is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the move_email 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 move_email. 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.
move_email is provided by the IMAP MCP Server MCP server (non-dirty/imap-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 16 IMAP MCP Server tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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16 IMAP MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.