AI agents call roam_search_hierarchy to retrieve information from Roam Research MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Search operations query and retrieve data from a graph without creating, modifying, or deleting content. Even though the description is empty, the tool name and its position among other Roam Research tools (which clearly separate read from write operations) indicates this is a data retrieval function.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'roam_search_hierarchy' contains 'search', a read operation. The sibling tools include write operations (roam_add_todo, roam_create_block, roam_create_page) and read operations (fetch_pdf_content, get_roam_graph_info), placing this tool in the read…
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access roam_search_hierarchy gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Roam Research MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for roam_search_hierarchy:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"roam_search_hierarchy": {}
}
}roam_search_hierarchy is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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roam_search_hierarchy. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Roam Research MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Roam Research MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for roam_search_hierarchy: 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 Roam Research MCP Server. Nothing to install.
roam_search_hierarchy 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 roam_search_hierarchy 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 roam_search_hierarchy. 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.
roam_search_hierarchy is provided by the Roam Research MCP Server MCP server (philosolares/roam-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Roam Research MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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26 Roam Research MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.