send_push · Paper Distill MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What send_push does on Paper Distill MCP

AI agents use send_push to create or update resources in Paper Distill MCP — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Paper Distill MCP environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why send_push needs a policy

The term 'push' in academic research tools typically means exporting or sending data to external destinations like Zotero or Obsidian. This is a write operation that modifies state in those external systems, creating new records or collections. The empty description lowers confidence slightly, but the context of a paper curation tool with explicit Zotero/Obsidian integration makes the write classification clear.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'send_push' combined with server context of 'ranked push' and 'Zotero and Obsidian support' indicates it sends or pushes data (papers/research) to external applications.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

send_push Rate-limited

send_push 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.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "send_push": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "send_push_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Paper Distill MCP, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about send_push

What does the send_push tool do? +

send_push. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Paper Distill MCP MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on send_push? +

Register the Paper Distill MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for send_push: 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 Paper Distill MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is send_push? +

send_push is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit send_push? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the send_push 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.

How do I block send_push completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for send_push. 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.

What MCP server provides send_push? +

send_push is provided by the Paper Distill MCP server (pypi:paper-distill-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.