Create a new backtest request and get the backtest Id.
AI agents invoke create_backtest to trigger actions in QuantConnect. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
Creating a backtest triggers execution of a trading algorithm simulation on QuantConnect's infrastructure. It is not a simple data write — it initiates a computational job/process. While it doesn't directly move money (it's a simulation), it consumes compute resources and triggers external operations whose effects depend on the algorithm arguments provided. Most severe applicable category is Execute.
From the tool's definition Create a new backtest request and get the backtest Id
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access create_backtest gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and QuantConnect, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for create_backtest:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"create_backtest": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "create_backtest_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 10,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}create_backtest stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Create a new backtest request and get the backtest Id. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the QuantConnect MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the QuantConnect MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for create_backtest: 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 QuantConnect. Nothing to install.
create_backtest is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the create_backtest 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 create_backtest. 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.
create_backtest is provided by the QuantConnect MCP server (quantconnect/mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 64 QuantConnect tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
64 QuantConnect tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.