Update a guardrail's name, checks, or actions, unlike create_guardrail which registers a new one or delete_guardrail which removes it. This creates a new version that takes effect immediately for dependent configs, so review list_guardrails first; returns the updated id, slug, and version_id.
AI agents use update_guardrail to create or update resources in Portkey Admin — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Portkey Admin environment.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
name | string | — | New name for the guardrail |
checks | array | — | Updated array of checks to apply |
actions | object | — | Updated actions configuration |
guardrail_id | string | Yes | The guardrail UUID or slug to update |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
An AI agent can call update_guardrail faster than any human can review — one bad instruction and it creates or modifies resources in Portkey Admin by the hundred, each call as confident as the last.
Risk signalsHigh parameter count (20 properties)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Update a guardrail's name, checks, or actions, unlike create_guardrail which registers a new one or delete_guardrail which removes it. This creates a new version that takes effect immediately for dependent configs, so review list_guardrails first; returns the updated id, slug, and version_id. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Portkey Admin MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
update_guardrail accepts 4 parameters: name, checks, actions, guardrail_id. Required: guardrail_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 update_guardrail: 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.
update_guardrail is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the update_guardrail 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 update_guardrail. 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.
update_guardrail 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.