preview_template

Preview a template without creating tasks. Shows resolved titles (variables substituted), dependencies, and priorities.

SERVERTodos SOURCE@hasna/todos

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/todos/preview-template.md

WHAT IT DOES

What preview_template does on Todos

AI agents call preview_template to retrieve information from Todos without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

RISK

Why preview_template is rated Low

The tool only previews/displays template data by resolving variables and showing metadata (titles, dependencies, priorities). It explicitly does not create tasks or modify any state. This is a read-only operation with no capability to change, delete, or execute anything.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Preview a template without creating tasks' and 'Shows resolved titles, dependencies, and priorities' — purely retrieval and display of template information with no side effects or modifications.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs preview_template 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 preview_template, this is the rule to start with:

preview_template Allowed

preview_template is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "preview_template": {}
  }
}

ALLOW ONLY THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Todos, apply this rule, and every preview_template call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about preview_template

What does the preview_template tool do? +

Preview a template without creating tasks. Shows resolved titles (variables substituted), dependencies, and priorities. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Todos MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on preview_template? +

Register the Todos MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for preview_template: 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.

What risk level is preview_template? +

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

Can I rate-limit preview_template? +

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

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

preview_template 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.

KEEP EXPLORING

More on Todos, and thousands of servers like it.

This server

All 528 Todos tools →

Across the catalogue

The MCP Attack Database →

Guides

Roll out MCP under one policy →Data exfiltration →MCP token cost →