automation_control · Homeassistant MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What automation_control does on Homeassistant

AI agents invoke automation_control to trigger actions in Homeassistant. 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.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why automation_control needs a policy

Based on the tool name and server context, this tool likely triggers, enables, disables, or modifies Home Assistant automations. Running automations can cause real-world physical effects (lights, locks, alarms, appliances), making it an Execute-level action with high severity.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'automation_control' on a Home Assistant MCP server that 'controls Home Assistant devices and services'; description is empty and uninformative.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

automation_control Rate-limited

automation_control 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.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "automation_control": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "automation_control_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Homeassistant, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about automation_control

What does the automation_control tool do? +

automation_control. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Homeassistant MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on automation_control? +

Register the Homeassistant MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for automation_control: 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 Homeassistant. Nothing to install.

What risk level is automation_control? +

automation_control is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit automation_control? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the automation_control 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 automation_control completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for automation_control. 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 automation_control? +

automation_control is provided by the Homeassistant MCP server (robbrad/homeassistant-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.