AI agents use update-database to create or update resources in Notion MCP Server — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Notion MCP Server environment.
This tool modifies database configurations or properties in Notion, which is a reversible Write operation. It ranks high severity because updating a database could affect all linked pages, properties, and queries across a Notion workspace—a large blast radius if misconfigured by an agent.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'update-database' with description 'Update an existing database'. The verb 'update' indicates modification of existing data structures.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access update-database gives an agent:
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 update-database:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"update-database": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "update-database_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}update-database 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.
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Update an existing database. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Notion MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Notion MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for update-database: 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.
update-database 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 update-database 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 update-database. 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.
update-database 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.
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.
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12 Notion MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.