delete_agent
Archive an agent (soft delete). The agent is hidden from list_agents but preserved for task history. Use unarchive_agent to restore. Resolve by id or name.
This record as markdown: /tools/todos/delete-agent.md
What delete_agent does on Todos
AI agents call delete_agent to permanently remove resources in Todos, typically in cleanup and lifecycle workflows. It does its job in a single call, and there is no undo.
Why delete_agent is rated Critical
While soft deletes are technically reversible through unarchive_agent, the action fundamentally and irreversibly transitions an agent to a hidden/archived state in active workflows. This removes it from normal visibility and operations, making it a destructive action. The reversibility mechanism exists but requires a separate explicit action, placing this in Destructive rather than Write.
From the tool's definition Tool performs 'soft delete' via 'Archive an agent' operation. Although reversible via unarchive_agent, the primary action irreversibly removes the agent from active use (hidden from list_agents).
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs delete_agent 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 delete_agent, this is the rule to start with:
delete_agent is removed from the agent's tool list entirely, so the agent never calls it. The rest of the server keeps working.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Todos, apply this rule, and every delete_agent call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about delete_agent
Archive an agent (soft delete). The agent is hidden from list_agents but preserved for task history. Use unarchive_agent to restore. Resolve by id or name. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the Todos MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.
Register the Todos MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for delete_agent: 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.
delete_agent is a Destructive tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the delete_agent 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 delete_agent. 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.
delete_agent 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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