refresh_document · Zotero Word MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What refresh_document does on Zotero Word

AI agents invoke refresh_document to trigger actions in Zotero Word. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why refresh_document needs a policy

This tool triggers an external refresh operation in the Zotero Word plugin, causing it to reprocess and resolve citation fields in the document. This is an Execute-category action because it runs an external operation (Zotero's refresh mechanism) whose effects depend on the document state.

From the tool's definition 触发 Zotero 官方 Word Refresh，并等待占位字段解析完成 — 'triggers' an external operation (Zotero Word Refresh) and waits for field resolution to complete

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

refresh_document Rate-limited

refresh_document stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "refresh_document": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "refresh_document_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

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

FAQ

Questions about refresh_document

What does the refresh_document tool do? +

触发 Zotero 官方 Word Refresh，并等待占位字段解析完成。. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Zotero Word MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on refresh_document? +

Register the Zotero Word MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for refresh_document: 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 Zotero Word. Nothing to install.

What risk level is refresh_document? +

refresh_document is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit refresh_document? +

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

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

refresh_document is provided by the Zotero Word MCP server (zhangchaokai1/zotero-word-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.