deleteFile

THE RISK

Critical Risk

Why deleteFile needs a policy

This tool irreversibly removes data from Google Drive without recovery options. The permanent nature of the deletion, combined with potential impact on shared documents, collaboration workflows, and data loss, makes it Destructive rather than merely Write. High severity reflects the significant blast radius if misused by an AI agent—entire files, folders, and their contents could be lost without undo capability.

From the tool's definition "Permanently deletes a file or folder from Google Drive" - the words 'permanently deletes' explicitly indicate irreversible data destruction.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access deleteFile gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control deleteFile

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

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "hide": [
    "deleteFile"
  ]
}

deleteFile disappears from the agent's tool list entirely, and any attempt to call it is denied. The rest of the server keeps working.

Create a free account and register Google Workspace 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.

RESTRICT THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Google Workspace MCP Server tools

Destructive clearSpreadsheetRange Clears all values from a specific range in a Google Spreadsheet. Destructive deleteCalendarEvent Delete a calendar event. Destructive deleteComment Deletes a comment from the document. Destructive deleteGmailFilter Delete a Gmail filter. Destructive deleteGmailLabel Delete a Gmail label. Cannot delete system labels. Destructive deleteRange Deletes content within a specified range (start index inclusive, end index exclusive) from Execute updateScriptContent Updates the content of an Apps Script project. You can add multiple script files (Code.gs, Write clearBasicFilter Clears the basic filter from a Google Spreadsheet sheet.

All 72 Google Workspace MCP Server tools →

Destructive tools on other servers

Android Forensics ADB MCP Server create_full_backup 0xarchive web3_revoke_key Frida Game Hacking MCP clear_scan cPanel MCP Server clear_spam_box

Go deeper

Critical-risk tools in Google Workspace MCP Server → Every critical-risk tool this server exposes, in one view.
All critical-risk MCP tools → Every critical-risk tool across the catalogue, and the policy pattern that contains them.
The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Blast radius → How much damage one compromised or confused agent can do — and how to bound it.
Tool call approval → Approval gates on individual tool calls: auto-allow, prompt, or deny.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about deleteFile

What does the deleteFile tool do? +

Permanently deletes a file or folder from Google Drive. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the Google Workspace MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.

How do I enforce a policy on deleteFile? +

Register the Google Workspace MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for deleteFile: 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 Google Workspace MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is deleteFile? +

deleteFile is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.

Can I rate-limit deleteFile? +

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

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

deleteFile is provided by the Google Workspace MCP Server MCP server (sputnicyoji/google-workspace-mcp-with-script). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Google Workspace MCP Server tool call.

Start from Google Workspace 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 →