Test connectivity to an MCP server. Sends a live check and returns success, response time, HTTP status, and any error; use this before changing configuration or when diagnosing reachability.
AI agents call test_mcp_server to retrieve information from Portkey Admin without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
id | string | Yes | The MCP server ID or slug to test |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Even though test_mcp_server only reads data, uncontrolled read access leaks sensitive information and racks up API costs — an agent caught in a retry loop can make thousands of calls a minute without anyone noticing.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Test connectivity to an MCP server. Sends a live check and returns success, response time, HTTP status, and any error; use this before changing configuration or when diagnosing reachability. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Portkey Admin MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
test_mcp_server accepts 1 parameter: id. Required: id. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Portkey Admin MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for test_mcp_server: 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 Portkey Admin. Nothing to install.
test_mcp_server 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 test_mcp_server 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 test_mcp_server. 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.
test_mcp_server is provided by the Portkey Admin MCP server (CodesWhat/portkey-admin-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.