Use this when the user wants to delete, remove, or trash a note in their vault. Hard-deletes the file at the given path (helper will sync the deletion to local Obsidian). For soft-delete (preserve historical content but mark as superseded — see CLAUDE.md
AI agents call garden_delete to permanently remove resources in Synapse — typically in cleanup and lifecycle workflows. It does its job in a single call, and there is no undo.
This tool irreversibly destroys data (notes/files) in the user's knowledge vault. Hard-deletion cannot be undone, making it Destructive rather than Write. While the blast radius is somewhat limited to the user's own vault, the permanent loss of potentially valuable knowledge base content and the lack of recovery mechanism justify a 'high' severity rating.
From the tool's definition 'Hard-deletes the file at the given path' - the tool permanently removes note files from the Obsidian vault without recovery option. The description explicitly distinguishes this from soft-delete, emphasizing the irreversible nature.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Use this when the user wants to delete, remove, or trash a note in their vault. Hard-deletes the file at the given path (helper will sync the deletion to local Obsidian). For soft-delete (preserve historical content but mark as superseded — see CLAUDE.md. It is categorised as a Destructive tool in the Synapse MCP Server, which means it can permanently delete or destroy data. Block by default and require explicit approval.
Register the Synapse MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for garden_delete: 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 Synapse. Nothing to install.
garden_delete 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 garden_delete 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 garden_delete. 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.
garden_delete is provided by the Synapse MCP server (tomjrworks/synapse-obsidian). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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