Extract the table of contents (TOC) or outline/bookmarks structure from a PDF file. Returns hierarchical or flattened list of document sections with titles, page references, and navigation structure. Use either absolute_path for any location or relative_path for files in ~/pdf-agent/ directory.
AI agents call get_pdf_outline to retrieve information from PDF Agent MCP without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves document structure information without side effects. It queries existing PDF metadata (outline/bookmarks) and returns navigational information. No data is modified, deleted, executed, or created. This is a straightforward Read operation consistent with other tools on this server like get_pdf_metadata and search_pdf.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_pdf_outline' and description explicitly states it 'Extract[s] the table of contents (TOC) or outline/bookmarks structure' and 'Returns hierarchical or flattened list of document sections with titles, page references' — purely retrieval of…
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_pdf_outline gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and PDF Agent MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_pdf_outline:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_pdf_outline": {}
}
}get_pdf_outline is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Extract the table of contents (TOC) or outline/bookmarks structure from a PDF file. Returns hierarchical or flattened list of document sections with titles, page references, and navigation structure. Use either absolute_path for any location or relative_path for files in ~/pdf-agent/ directory. It is categorised as a Read tool in the PDF Agent MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the PDF Agent MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_pdf_outline: 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 PDF Agent MCP. Nothing to install.
get_pdf_outline is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_pdf_outline 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 get_pdf_outline. 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.
get_pdf_outline is provided by the PDF Agent MCP server (vlad-ds/pdf-agent-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from PDF Agent MCP, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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7 PDF Agent MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.