forward-email · Outlook MCP Server MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What forward-email does on Outlook MCP Server

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why forward-email needs a policy

Forwarding an email creates new message data and sends it to specified recipients. This is a Write operation (creates/modifies data reversibly) rather than Execute because it follows a defined email forwarding workflow rather than executing arbitrary code.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Forwards an email to the specified recipients' — this creates a new email message (write operation). The capability to add optional comments further confirms content creation/modification.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

forward-email Rate-limited

forward-email 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": {
    "forward-email": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "forward-email_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 Outlook MCP Server, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about forward-email

What does the forward-email tool do? +

Forwards an email to the specified recipients with an optional comment. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Outlook MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on forward-email? +

Register the Outlook MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for forward-email: 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 Outlook MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is forward-email? +

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

Can I rate-limit forward-email? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the forward-email 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 forward-email completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for forward-email. 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 forward-email? +

forward-email is provided by the Outlook MCP Server MCP server (peacockery-studio/outlook-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.