set_preference

Write an After Effects preference value (section + key).

SERVERAe SOURCE@synthetic-ai/ae-mcp

Medium RISK CLASS

Category Write

Parameters 53 required

Recommended Rate-limitedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/synthetic-ai-ae-mcp/set-preference.md

WHAT IT DOES

What set_preference does on Ae

AI agents use set_preference to create or update resources in Ae, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Ae environment.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`key`	string	Yes
`type`	string	—	string \| number \| boolean. Defaults to string.
`value`	object	Yes	String, number, or boolean value to store.
`section`	string	Yes
`timeoutMs`	number	—

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

RISK

Why set_preference is rated Medium

An AI agent can call set_preference faster than any human can review: one bad instruction and it creates or modifies resources in Ae by the hundred, each call as confident as the last.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs set_preference safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Ae, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For set_preference, this is the rule to start with:

set_preference Rate-limited

set_preference 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.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "set_preference": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "set_preference_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Ae, apply this rule, and every set_preference call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about set_preference

What does the set_preference tool do? +

Write an After Effects preference value (section + key). It is categorised as a Write tool in the Ae MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

What parameters does set_preference accept? +

set_preference accepts 5 parameters: key, type, value, section, timeoutMs. Required: key, value, section. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.

How do I enforce a policy on set_preference? +

Register the Ae MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for set_preference: 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 Ae. Nothing to install.

What risk level is set_preference? +

set_preference is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit set_preference? +

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

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

set_preference is provided by the Ae MCP server (@synthetic-ai/ae-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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