sync-activities · Garmin MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What sync-activities does on Garmin

AI agents use sync-activities to create or update resources in Garmin — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Garmin environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why sync-activities needs a policy

This tool fetches data from an external service (Garmin Connect) and writes it into the local SQLite database. It creates or updates records reversibly — activities can be re-synced or removed — making it a Write operation. It does not execute arbitrary code, delete data, or involve financial transactions.

From the tool's definition Downloads and syncs new activities from Garmin Connect to the local database

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

sync-activities Rate-limited

sync-activities stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "sync-activities": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "sync-activities_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Garmin, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about sync-activities

What does the sync-activities tool do? +

Downloads and syncs new activities from Garmin Connect to the local database. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Garmin MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on sync-activities? +

Register the Garmin MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for sync-activities: 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 Garmin. Nothing to install.

What risk level is sync-activities? +

sync-activities is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit sync-activities? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the sync-activities 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 sync-activities completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for sync-activities. 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 sync-activities? +

sync-activities is provided by the Garmin MCP server (vnglst/garmin-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.