Gets detailed information about a specific work item type. Use this tool when you need to: - Get complete details about a work item type - Understand the states and transitions for a work item type - Learn about the color and icon for a work item type Args: project: Project ID or project name typ...
AI agents call get_work_item_type to retrieve information from MCP Azure DevOps Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool queries metadata about work item type definitions in Azure DevOps. It returns information only (states, transitions, color, icon) without any side effects. No data is created, modified, deleted, or used to trigger operations. This is a straightforward Read operation with minimal blast radius if misused by an agent.
From the tool's definition Tool retrieves 'detailed information about a specific work item type' including 'states, transitions, color, and icon' - pure data retrieval with no modification, creation, deletion, or execution of external operations.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_work_item_type gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and MCP Azure DevOps Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_work_item_type:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_work_item_type": {}
}
}get_work_item_type is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Gets detailed information about a specific work item type. Use this tool when you need to: - Get complete details about a work item type - Understand the states and transitions for a work item type - Learn about the color and icon for a work item type Args: project: Project ID or project name type_name: The name of the work item type Returns: Detailed information about the work item type including states, color, icon, and reference name. It is categorised as a Read tool in the MCP Azure DevOps Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the MCP Azure DevOps Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_work_item_type: 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 MCP Azure DevOps Server. Nothing to install.
get_work_item_type 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_work_item_type 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_work_item_type. 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_work_item_type is provided by the MCP Azure DevOps Server MCP server (vortiago/mcp-azure-devops). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 21 MCP Azure DevOps Server tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
21 MCP Azure DevOps Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.