start_discussion · Phenomenai MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What start_discussion does on Phenomenai

AI agents use start_discussion 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 start_discussion needs a policy

Based on the tool name and the context of the server (community discussions) and sibling tool 'add_to_discussion', this tool likely creates a new discussion entry, which is a reversible Write operation. Empty description lowers confidence. Severity is medium as misuse could post unwanted content to a community platform.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'start_discussion' and sibling tool 'add_to_discussion' suggest creating/initiating a new discussion thread; description is empty providing no further detail.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

start_discussion Rate-limited

start_discussion 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": {
    "start_discussion": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "start_discussion_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 start_discussion

What does the start_discussion tool do? +

start_discussion. 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 start_discussion? +

Register the Phenomenai MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for start_discussion: 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 start_discussion? +

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

Can I rate-limit start_discussion? +

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

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

start_discussion 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.