list-databases

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why list-databases needs a policy

This tool queries and returns information about accessible databases without creating, modifying, or deleting any data. It is a non-destructive read operation with minimal blast radius if misused by an AI agent.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'list-databases' and description states it 'List all databases the integration has access to' — a retrieval operation with no modification or side effects.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list-databases gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control list-databases

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Notion MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list-databases:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "list-databases": {}
  }
}

list-databases is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register Notion MCP Server — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Notion MCP Server tools

Write append-block-children Append blocks to a parent block Write create-database Create a new database Write create-page Create a new page in a database Write update-block Update a block Write update-database Update an existing database Write update-page Update an existing page Read get-block Retrieve a block by its ID Read get-block-children Retrieve the children blocks of a block

All 12 Notion MCP Server tools →

Read tools on other servers

M-Team MCP Server get_torrent_detail YouTube MCP Server search_channel Android Forensics ADB MCP Server parse_browser_history 0xarchive web3_challenge

Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about list-databases

What does the list-databases tool do? +

List all databases the integration has access to. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Notion MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list-databases? +

Register the Notion MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list-databases: 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 Notion MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list-databases? +

list-databases is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit list-databases? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the list-databases 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 list-databases completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for list-databases. 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 list-databases? +

list-databases is provided by the Notion MCP Server MCP server (sjotie/notionmcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Notion MCP Server tool call.

Start from Notion MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →