This record as markdown: /tools/openclaw/agents.md
What agents does on OpenClaw
AI agents use agents to create or update resources in OpenClaw, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your OpenClaw environment.
Why agents is rated Medium
'Manage' typically encompasses CRUD operations on agents including workspaces, authentication, and routing configuration. This spans Write at minimum, potentially Destructive if deletion is included. Without more detail on what operations are available, Write is the most defensible single category given the ambiguous description.
From the tool's definition "Manage isolated agents (workspaces, auth, routing)" — 'Manage' implies create/update/delete operations on agents
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs agents safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and OpenClaw, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For agents, this is the rule to start with:
agents 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 OpenClaw, apply this rule, and every agents call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about agents
Manage isolated agents (workspaces, auth, routing). It is categorised as a Write tool in the OpenClaw MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the OpenClaw MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for agents: 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 OpenClaw. Nothing to install.
agents 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 agents 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 agents. 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.
agents is provided by the OpenClaw MCP server (openclaw). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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