list-presets

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why list-presets needs a policy

This tool performs a read-only operation that queries and returns a list of available presets from the filesystem. There are no side effects, no code execution, no data modification, and no destructive actions. It is purely informational retrieval, which is the hallmark of the Read category.

From the tool's definition Tool name and description: 'list-presets' and 'List available After Effects .ffx presets from common or provided folders.' The tool retrieves and enumerates preset files without modifying, executing, or deleting them.

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

POLICY

How to control list-presets

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

policy.json

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

list-presets 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 After Effects 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 After Effects MCP Server tools

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All 30 After Effects MCP Server tools →

Read tools on other servers

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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-presets

What does the list-presets tool do? +

List available After Effects .ffx presets from common or provided folders. It is categorised as a Read tool in the After Effects MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

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

Register the After Effects MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list-presets: 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 After Effects MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list-presets? +

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

Can I rate-limit list-presets? +

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

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

list-presets is provided by the After Effects MCP Server MCP server (thellamainator/after-effects-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every After Effects MCP Server tool call.

Start from After Effects 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 →