List available YouTube video categories for a region.
AI agents call youtube_get_categories to retrieve information from YouTube 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 a simple data retrieval—listing static reference data (video categories) for a given region. It has no side effects, does not execute code, create/modify content, consume financial resources, or delete anything. The blast radius of misuse is minimal; an agent could only retrieve category information that is already public.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'youtube_get_categories' with description 'List available YouTube video categories for a region' indicates a retrieval operation that queries YouTube's category taxonomy without modifying, executing, or deleting data.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
List available YouTube video categories for a region. It is categorised as a Read tool in the YouTube MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the YouTube MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for youtube_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 YouTube MCP Server. Nothing to install.
youtube_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 youtube_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 youtube_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.
youtube_get_categories is provided by the YouTube MCP Server MCP server (pauling-ai/youtube-mcp-server). 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.
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