AI agents call list_spreads to retrieve information from InDesign MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool performs a data retrieval operation analogous to 'list' or 'get' operations—it queries the document structure to enumerate spreads. No data is created, modified, deleted, or executed. The blast radius of misuse is minimal as it only exposes document structure information already accessible within the InDesign application itself.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_spreads' and description 'List all spreads in the document' indicate a read-only query operation that retrieves existing data without modification, deletion, or execution of side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_spreads gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and InDesign MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_spreads:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"list_spreads": {}
}
}list_spreads is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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List all spreads in the document. It is categorised as a Read tool in the InDesign MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the InDesign MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_spreads: 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 InDesign MCP Server. Nothing to install.
list_spreads 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 list_spreads 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 list_spreads. 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.
list_spreads is provided by the InDesign MCP Server MCP server (zachshallbetter/indesign-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from InDesign MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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135 InDesign MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.