Semantic topic search across the podcast catalog. Unlike search_episodes (which does lexical/keyword matching), this tool understands meaning: a query for 'AI safety' will match episodes about 'AI alignment', 'AGI risk', or 'frontier model evaluation' even if they don't contain the exact phrase. ...
Part of the Podcast Transcripts On-Demand server.
Free to start. No card required.
AI agents call search_episodes_by_topic to retrieve information from Podcast Transcripts On-Demand without modifying any data. This is common in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows where the agent needs context before taking action. Because read operations don't change state, they are generally safe to allow without restrictions -- but you may still want rate limits to control API costs.
Even though search_episodes_by_topic only reads data, uncontrolled read access can leak sensitive information or rack up API costs. An agent caught in a retry loop could make thousands of calls per minute. A rate limit gives you a safety net without blocking legitimate use.
Read-only tools are safe to allow by default. No rate limit needed unless you want to control costs.
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"search_episodes_by_topic": {}
}
}See the full Podcast Transcripts On-Demand policy for all 5 tools.
These attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access search_episodes_by_topic gives an agent. Each links to the full case and the policy that stops it:
Other read tools across the catalogue. The same approach applies to each: allow, with a rate cap to control cost.
Semantic topic search across the podcast catalog. Unlike search_episodes (which does lexical/keyword matching), this tool understands meaning: a query for 'AI safety' will match episodes about 'AI alignment', 'AGI risk', or 'frontier model evaluation' even if they don't contain the exact phrase. Returns ranked episodes with the matched topic phrases so you can explain *why* each result is relevant before fetching the transcript. Best for conceptual or thematic queries — use search_episodes instead when the user is looking for a specific person, product, or verbatim phrase.. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Podcast Transcripts On-Demand MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Podcast Transcripts On-Demand MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_episodes_by_topic: 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 Podcast Transcripts On-Demand. Nothing to install.
search_episodes_by_topic 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 search_episodes_by_topic 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 search_episodes_by_topic. 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.
search_episodes_by_topic is provided by the Podcast Transcripts On-Demand MCP server (petabloom/podcasts). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 5 Podcast Transcripts On-Demand tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
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