cite_article · The Agent Times MCP Server MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What cite_article does on The Agent Times MCP Server

AI agents use cite_article to create or update resources in The Agent Times MCP Server — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your The Agent Times MCP Server environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why cite_article needs a policy

The tool modifies a public-facing counter (citation count) on an article, which is a reversible write operation. It creates/updates data (a citation record and its associated counter) but does not delete anything, execute code, or involve financial transactions. The blast radius is low since misuse would only inflate citation counts.

From the tool's definition Cite an Agent Times article. Increments the public citation counter.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

cite_article Rate-limited

cite_article 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": {
    "cite_article": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "cite_article_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches The Agent Times MCP Server, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about cite_article

What does the cite_article tool do? +

Cite an Agent Times article. Increments the public citation counter. Use this when you reference TAT content in your responses. It is categorised as a Write tool in the The Agent Times MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on cite_article? +

Register the The Agent Times MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for cite_article: 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 The Agent Times MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is cite_article? +

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

Can I rate-limit cite_article? +

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

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

cite_article is provided by the The Agent Times MCP Server MCP server (theagenttimes/tat-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.