Medium Risk

append-blocks

append-blocks

How to control append-blocks ↓

What append-blocks does on Notion MCP Server

AI agents use append-blocks to create or update resources in Notion MCP Server — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Notion MCP Server environment.

Medium Risk

Why append-blocks needs a policy

The name 'append-blocks' strongly implies writing/adding new content blocks to an existing Notion page or document. This is a Write operation as it creates new data but does not irreversibly delete or overwrite existing content. Severity is medium as an AI agent could add unwanted content to workspace pages.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'append-blocks' suggests adding content blocks to a Notion page or document.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access append-blocks gives an agent:

How to control append-blocks

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

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "append-blocks": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "append-blocks_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

append-blocks stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

  1. Create a free account and register Notion MCP Server — nothing to install.
  2. Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
LIMIT THIS TOOL →

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Related tools and policies

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Questions about append-blocks

What does the append-blocks tool do? +

append-blocks. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Notion MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on append-blocks? +

Register the Notion MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for append-blocks: 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 Notion MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is append-blocks? +

append-blocks is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit append-blocks? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the append-blocks 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 append-blocks completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for append-blocks. 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 append-blocks? +

append-blocks is provided by the Notion MCP Server MCP server (ramidecodes/mcp-server-notion). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Notion MCP Server tool call.

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

Free to start. No card required.

17 Notion MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.

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