remember · Engram MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What remember does on Engram

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why remember needs a policy

This tool creates or modifies persistent data (memories, sessions, decisions) in the Engram epistemic engine. It has side effects but no irreversible deletion, no code execution, and no financial impact. Write category fits: the tool stores/persists new information.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Save a memory or session to Engram' — the word 'Save' indicates data creation/modification. The action is reversible (memories can be updated or overwritten in subsequent calls), distinguishing it from destructive operations.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

remember Rate-limited

remember 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": {
    "remember": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "remember_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 Engram, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about remember

What does the remember tool do? +

Save a memory or session to Engram. Call at end of session, after completing a feature, or when recording a decision. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Engram MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on remember? +

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

What risk level is remember? +

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

Can I rate-limit remember? +

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

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

remember is provided by the Engram MCP server (tinydarkforge/engram). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.