AI agents call get_search_genres to retrieve information from Crawl-MCP without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves configuration or metadata (available search genres) from the system. It performs a read-only query with no capability to modify, execute operations, delete data, or move funds. The lack of any parameters suggests it simply returns a list or dictionary of supported genres, making it a safe informational query.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_search_genres' and description 'Get available search genres for targeted searching' indicate a retrieval operation that queries metadata about available search categories with no side effects or data modification.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_search_genres gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Crawl-MCP, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_search_genres:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_search_genres": {}
}
}get_search_genres is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Get available search genres for targeted searching. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Crawl-MCP MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Crawl- MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_search_genres: 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 Crawl-MCP. Nothing to install.
get_search_genres 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_search_genres 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_search_genres. 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_search_genres is provided by the Crawl- MCP server (walksoda/crawl-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 19 Crawl-MCP tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
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19 Crawl-MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.