Provides statistics about the data in the index, including the number of records and available namespaces.
AI agents call describe-index-stats to retrieve information from Pinecone Developer MCP without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves metadata and statistics from an existing index without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any operations. It is a passive informational query that has no impact on data or system state.
From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Provides statistics about the data in the index', which is a query/retrieval operation with no modification or side effects. The verb 'Provides' and scope 'statistics' confirm read-only access.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access describe-index-stats gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Pinecone Developer MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for describe-index-stats:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"describe-index-stats": {}
}
}describe-index-stats is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Provides statistics about the data in the index, including the number of records and available namespaces. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Pinecone Developer MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Pinecone Developer MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for describe-index-stats: 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 Pinecone Developer MCP. Nothing to install.
describe-index-stats 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 describe-index-stats 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 describe-index-stats. 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.
describe-index-stats is provided by the Pinecone Developer MCP server (pinecone-io/pinecone-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 9 Pinecone Developer MCP tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
9 Pinecone Developer MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.