import_from_sidecar
Additive restore from a portability sidecar (library.json / playlists.json): re-adds missing saved items and creates missing playlists. Skips existing. dry_run=true by default. Quota: 🟢 local read + 🟡 contains-check + writes when dry_run=false (chunked).
This record as markdown: /tools/novalux12-spotify-mcp/import-from-sidecar.md
What import_from_sidecar does on Spotify
AI agents use import_from_sidecar to create or update resources in Spotify, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Spotify environment.
Why import_from_sidecar is rated Medium
An AI agent can call import_from_sidecar faster than any human can review: one bad instruction and it creates or modifies resources in Spotify by the hundred, each call as confident as the last.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs import_from_sidecar safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Spotify, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For import_from_sidecar, this is the rule to start with:
import_from_sidecar 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.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Spotify, apply this rule, and every import_from_sidecar call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about import_from_sidecar
Additive restore from a portability sidecar (library.json / playlists.json): re-adds missing saved items and creates missing playlists. Skips existing. dry_run=true by default. Quota: 🟢 local read + 🟡 contains-check + writes when dry_run=false (chunked). It is categorised as a Write tool in the Spotify MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Spotify MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for import_from_sidecar: 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 Spotify. Nothing to install.
import_from_sidecar 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 import_from_sidecar 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 import_from_sidecar. 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.
import_from_sidecar is provided by the Spotify MCP server (@novalux12/spotify-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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