Create a new transaction. Use this to add transactions to accounts. Supports transfers between accounts by specifying transfer_account_id.
AI agents use create-transaction to create or update resources in Actual — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Actual environment.
This tool creates financial transaction records in a budget management system. While it doesn't move real money, it writes financial data that could affect budget tracking, account balances, and reporting. Misuse could corrupt financial records by adding fraudulent or erroneous transactions, including transfers between accounts. Severity is high due to the financial nature of the data being written.
From the tool's definition Create a new transaction...add transactions to accounts. Supports transfers between accounts
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access create-transaction gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Actual, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for create-transaction:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"create-transaction": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "create-transaction_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}create-transaction 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.
Free to start. No card required.
Create a new transaction. Use this to add transactions to accounts. Supports transfers between accounts by specifying transfer_account_id. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Actual MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Actual MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for create-transaction: 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 Actual. Nothing to install.
create-transaction 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 create-transaction 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-transaction. 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-transaction is provided by the Actual MCP server (s-stefanov/actual-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 25 Actual tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
25 Actual tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.