read_recent_entries

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why read_recent_entries needs a policy

This tool retrieves historical journal data without creating, modifying, or deleting entries. The blast radius of misuse is minimal: an AI agent could read sensitive personal journal content, but cannot alter or destroy data.

From the tool's definition Tool name contains 'read' and description states 'Read recent journal entries from Day One database'—a pure retrieval operation with no mutation or side effects.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access read_recent_entries gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control read_recent_entries

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and MCP-DayOne, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for read_recent_entries:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "read_recent_entries": {}
  }
}

read_recent_entries is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register MCP-DayOne — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More MCP-DayOne tools

Write create_entry_with_attachments Create a journal entry with file attachments (photos, videos, audio, PDFs) Write create_journal_entry Create a new entry in Day One journal with support for attachments, location, and metadata Write create_location_entry Create a journal entry with location coordinates Read get_entries_by_date Get journal entries for a specific date across multiple years ( Read get_entry_count Get the total number of entries in a journal Read get_entry_count_from_db Get actual entry count from Day One database Read list_journals List all available Day One journals Read list_journals_from_db List all journals from database with entry counts

All 10 MCP-DayOne tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about read_recent_entries

What does the read_recent_entries tool do? +

Read recent journal entries from Day One database. It is categorised as a Read tool in the MCP-DayOne MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on read_recent_entries? +

Register the MCP-DayOne MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for read_recent_entries: 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 MCP-DayOne. Nothing to install.

What risk level is read_recent_entries? +

read_recent_entries is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit read_recent_entries? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the read_recent_entries 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.

How do I block read_recent_entries completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for read_recent_entries. 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.

What MCP server provides read_recent_entries? +

read_recent_entries is provided by the MCP-DayOne MCP server (quevin/mcp-dayone). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every MCP-DayOne tool call.

Start from MCP-DayOne, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →