approval_request · LocalAnt MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What approval_request does on LocalAnt

AI agents call approval_request as a supporting operation in LocalAnt workflows.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why approval_request needs a policy

This tool does not itself read, write, execute, destroy, or move money. It creates a human-in-the-loop approval gate — its sole effect is to surface a request for human review before any downstream action occurs. The tool's output is a pending approval notification, not a side-effecting operation. Severity is low because misuse merely creates spurious approval prompts.

From the tool's definition Create an explicit approval request (risk-gated action) the human must approve in the dashboard or CLI

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

approval_request Rate-limited

approval_request gets a rate cap, and everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "approval_request": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "approval_request_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 60,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

SET A RULE FOR THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

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

FAQ

Questions about approval_request

What does the approval_request tool do? +

Create an explicit approval request (risk-gated action) the human must approve in the dashboard or CLI. It is categorised as a Other tool in the LocalAnt MCP Server, which means it performs auxiliary operations.

How do I enforce a policy on approval_request? +

Register the LocalAnt MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for approval_request: 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 LocalAnt. Nothing to install.

What risk level is approval_request? +

approval_request is a Other tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit approval_request? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the approval_request 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 approval_request completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for approval_request. 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 approval_request? +

approval_request is provided by the LocalAnt MCP server (yuga-hashimoto/localant). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

// THE FULL RECORD

approval_request is one line of LocalAnt's registry record.

The record carries the whole server: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, every tool classified, recommended policy — re-checked continuously.

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