This record as markdown: /tools/openclaw/context.md
What context does on OpenClaw
AI agents call context to retrieve information from OpenClaw without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Why context is rated Low
This tool reads and explains context usage without modifying, executing external operations, or causing irreversible changes. The subcommands (list, detail, json) are all retrieval/display operations. No side effects or data mutations are implied.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'context' with description 'Explain context usage (list|detail|json)' indicates it retrieves and displays information about context usage in different formats.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs context 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 context, this is the rule to start with:
context is read-only, so it stays allowed. 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 context call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about context
Explain context usage (list|detail|json). It is categorised as a Read tool in the OpenClaw MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the OpenClaw MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for context: 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.
context 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 context 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 context. 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.
context 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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