rate_term · Phenomenai MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What rate_term does on Phenomenai

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why rate_term needs a policy

The name 'rate_term' strongly implies submitting a rating or vote for a term, which is a reversible write operation (creating or modifying rating data). The empty description lowers confidence significantly. Given the server context of a community glossary with discussions and proposals, rating is a plausible write action. It does not appear destructive or financial.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'rate_term' and empty description. Based on naming convention, this likely allows users to submit a rating/score for a term in the glossary.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

rate_term Rate-limited

rate_term 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": {
    "rate_term": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "rate_term_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 Phenomenai, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about rate_term

What does the rate_term tool do? +

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

How do I enforce a policy on rate_term? +

Register the Phenomenai MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for rate_term: 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 Phenomenai. Nothing to install.

What risk level is rate_term? +

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

Can I rate-limit rate_term? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the rate_term 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 rate_term completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for rate_term. 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 rate_term? +

rate_term is provided by the Phenomenai MCP server (phenomenai-org/ai-dictionary-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.