Report progress updates for agent tasks and status changes
AI agents use report_progress to create or update resources in ZMCPTools — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your ZMCPTools environment.
This tool writes/updates task progress state within the orchestration platform. It modifies task/agent status records, which is a reversible write operation. It does not execute code, delete data, or have financial implications. Blast radius is low since it only affects internal progress tracking metadata.
From the tool's definition Report progress updates for agent tasks and status changes
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access report_progress gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and ZMCPTools, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for report_progress:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"report_progress": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "report_progress_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}report_progress 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.
Free to start. No card required.
Report progress updates for agent tasks and status changes. It is categorised as a Write tool in the ZMCPTools MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the ZMCPTools MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for report_progress: 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 ZMCPTools. Nothing to install.
report_progress 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 report_progress 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 report_progress. 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.
report_progress is provided by the ZMCPTools MCP server (zachhandley/zmcptools). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Deterministic rules across all 70 ZMCPTools tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.
Free to start. No card required.
70 ZMCPTools tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.