Search for businesses by location, category, or keyword. Returns up to 50 results with ratings, reviews, price level.
AI agents call search_businesses to retrieve information from Yelp Fusion MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool performs a search query against Yelp's business database and returns publicly available business information (ratings, reviews, price levels). It retrieves data without side effects, matching the Read category. The severity is low because misuse would only expose existing public information, with minimal harm potential. High confidence due to clear read-only semantics in the description.
From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Search for businesses' and 'Returns up to 50 results with ratings, reviews, price level.' The verbs 'search' and 'returns' indicate data retrieval with no modification or execution of external operations.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Search for businesses by location, category, or keyword. Returns up to 50 results with ratings, reviews, price level. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Yelp Fusion MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Yelp Fusion MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_businesses: 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 Yelp Fusion MCP Server. Nothing to install.
search_businesses 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 search_businesses 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 search_businesses. 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.
search_businesses is provided by the Yelp Fusion MCP Server MCP server (shawndrake2/mcp-yelp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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