pause_entity · Postgres MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What pause_entity does on Postgres

AI agents use pause_entity to create or update resources in Postgres — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Postgres environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why pause_entity needs a policy

This tool modifies the status of advertising entities (keywords, audiences, creatives, ad groups) by pausing them. This is a reversible state change (entities can be unpaused), making it Write rather than Destructive. However, pausing ad entities can have significant financial impact by stopping active campaigns, hence high severity.

From the tool's definition Pause a specific ad entity (keyword, audience, creative, or ad group). Changes the status of the entity.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

pause_entity Rate-limited

pause_entity 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.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "pause_entity": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "pause_entity_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

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

FAQ

Questions about pause_entity

What does the pause_entity tool do? +

Pause a specific ad entity (keyword, audience, creative, or ad group). ⚠️ ACTION TOOL: this changes the status of the entity to. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Postgres MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on pause_entity? +

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

What risk level is pause_entity? +

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

Can I rate-limit pause_entity? +

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

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

pause_entity is provided by the Postgres MCP server (santisanti13/postgres-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.