Archive an email (move to Archive folder)
AI agents use outlook_archive_email to create or update resources in Outlook — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Outlook environment.
Archiving emails modifies data state (changes folder location) but is reversible and non-destructive. The user can retrieve archived emails from the Archive folder. This is a Write operation rather than Destructive because archiving does not permanently delete data.
From the tool's definition 'Archive an email (move to Archive folder)' - moves/modifies email state by relocating it to a different folder, a reversible operation.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access outlook_archive_email gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Outlook, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for outlook_archive_email:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"outlook_archive_email": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "outlook_archive_email_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}outlook_archive_email 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.
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Archive an email (move to Archive folder). It is categorised as a Write tool in the Outlook MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Outlook MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for outlook_archive_email: 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 Outlook. Nothing to install.
outlook_archive_email is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the outlook_archive_email 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 outlook_archive_email. 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.
outlook_archive_email is provided by the Outlook MCP server (xenoxilus/outlook-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Outlook, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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43 Outlook tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.