List entities with optional filtering. WHEN: Browsing entities, filtering by project/type/tags, or discovering available entities before linking to memories or creating relationships. BEHAVIOR: Returns lightweight entity summaries (excludes notes to save tokens). Results sorted by creation date (...
AI agents call list_entities to retrieve information from Forgetful without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and queries entities with optional filtering parameters, returning summaries without modifying any data. It is explicitly used for browsing and discovering entities before other operations. The description confirms it excludes certain data (notes) to optimize token usage and recommends using get_entity for full details, further indicating this is a read-only retrieval function.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_entities' and description 'List entities with optional filtering' and 'Returns lightweight entity summaries' indicate a retrieval/query operation with no side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_entities gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Forgetful, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_entities:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_entities": {}
}
}list_entities is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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List entities with optional filtering. WHEN: Browsing entities, filtering by project/type/tags, or discovering available entities before linking to memories or creating relationships. BEHAVIOR: Returns lightweight entity summaries (excludes notes to save tokens). Results sorted by creation date (newest first). Use get_entity for full details. FILTERS: - project_ids: Show only entities linked to ANY of these projects - entity_type: Filter by type (Organization, Individual, Team, Device, Other) - tags: Show entities with ANY of these tags (OR logic) Args: project_ids: Optional filter by project IDs (returns entities linked to ANY) entity_type: Optional filter by entity type tags: Optional filter by tags (returns entities with ANY matching tag) ctx: Context (automatically injected) Returns: List of EntitySummary (lightweight, excludes notes). It is categorised as a Read tool in the Forgetful MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Forgetful MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_entities: 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 Forgetful. Nothing to install.
list_entities is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the list_entities 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 list_entities. 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.
list_entities is provided by the Forgetful MCP server (scottrbk/forgetful). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 59 Forgetful tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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59 Forgetful tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.