Retrieve all categories for a specific budget.
AI agents call get_categories to retrieve information from YNAB MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool performs data retrieval only—fetching categories from a YNAB budget. It does not create, modify, delete, or execute operations. The action is passive and non-destructive, making it a Read category risk with low severity.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_categories' and description 'Retrieve all categories for a specific budget' indicate a read-only operation that queries data without modification or side effects.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Retrieve all categories for a specific budget. It is categorised as a Read tool in the YNAB MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the YNAB MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_categories: 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 YNAB MCP Server. Nothing to install.
get_categories 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_categories 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_categories. 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_categories is provided by the YNAB MCP Server MCP server (ntdef/ynab-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
Teams ship this data inside their own products. See what a licence covers →