This record as markdown: /tools/todos/approve-approval-gate.md
What approve_approval_gate does on Todos
AI agents use approve_approval_gate to create or update resources in Todos, usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Todos environment.
Why approve_approval_gate is rated Medium
Approving an approval gate modifies the state of a workflow checkpoint (changing it from pending to approved). This is a reversible state change (could potentially be revoked or re-evaluated), making it a Write operation. However, it could trigger downstream actions, raising severity to medium since approving gates in automated pipelines can unblock significant operations.
From the tool's definition Approve a local manual approval checkpoint
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs approve_approval_gate safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Todos, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For approve_approval_gate, this is the rule to start with:
approve_approval_gate 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.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Todos, apply this rule, and every approve_approval_gate call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about approve_approval_gate
Approve a local manual approval checkpoint. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Todos MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Todos MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for approve_approval_gate: 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 Todos. Nothing to install.
approve_approval_gate is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the approve_approval_gate 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.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for approve_approval_gate. 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.
approve_approval_gate is provided by the Todos MCP server (@hasna/todos). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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