This record as markdown: /tools/todos/unfocus.md
What unfocus does on Todos
AI agents call unfocus 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 unfocus is rated Critical
An AI agent that decides to call unfocus doesn't hesitate, doesn't double-check, and doesn't stop at one. Whatever it removes from Todos is gone. There is no undo for destructive operations.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs unfocus 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 unfocus, this is the rule to start with:
unfocus 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 unfocus call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about unfocus
Clear focus — show all projects and tasks. 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 unfocus: 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.
unfocus 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 unfocus 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 unfocus. 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.
unfocus 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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