create-rule · Outlook Assistant MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What create-rule does on Outlook Assistant

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

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why create-rule needs a policy

Creating an inbox rule is a reversible write operation that modifies email processing settings but does not delete data or execute arbitrary code. It changes the state of the user's email system (which emails are archived, flagged, forwarded, etc.) and could redirect sensitive emails if misused by an agent, warranting medium severity.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'create-rule' and description states 'Creates a new inbox rule' — this creates a new configuration object that modifies email handling behavior.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

create-rule Rate-limited

create-rule 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": {
    "create-rule": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "create-rule_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 Outlook Assistant, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about create-rule

What does the create-rule tool do? +

Creates a new inbox rule. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Outlook Assistant MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on create-rule? +

Register the Outlook Assistant MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for create-rule: 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 Outlook Assistant. Nothing to install.

What risk level is create-rule? +

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

Can I rate-limit create-rule? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the create-rule 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 create-rule completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for create-rule. 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 create-rule? +

create-rule is provided by the Outlook Assistant MCP server (titanzero/outlook-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.