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MCP access profiles and permissions

The MCP Server exposes two access profiles. The server classifies tools by the underlying REST operation: tools backed by GET are read operations; tools backed by POST, PATCH, PUT, or DELETE are write operations. Cache tools declare the same distinction explicitly.

Read-only and Full

ProfileWhat the assistant can do
Read-onlyQuery and analyze Catalog data, layouts and changelogs, and read DAM images and files.
Full accessEverything Read-only allows, plus Catalog and DAM writes, layout changes, and runtime cache control.

Read-only is the recommended starting point. Move to Full access only when a workflow needs to modify data and your organization has approved it.

Tools blocked under Read-only

Read-only does not advertise the following tools and rejects them if a client attempts to call them.

AreaBlocked tools
Attribute Setscreate_attribute_set, update_attribute_set, delete_attribute_set
Categoriescreate_category, update_category, delete_category, update_category_layout
Productscreate_product, update_product, delete_product
Variantscreate_variant, update_variant, delete_variant
Custom Entitiescreate_custom_entity, update_custom_entity, delete_custom_entity, update_custom_entity_layout
DAM Imagesdam_create_image, dam_update_image, dam_delete_image
DAM Filesdam_create_file, dam_update_file, dam_delete_file
Runtime cachecache_clear, cache_control

Every tool marked Read in the tool reference is available under both profiles. cache_clear and cache_control require Full access because they change server runtime state, even though they do not modify Sales Layer records.

Choosing the profile

The profile is set in one of two ways:

  • During authorization. Select Read only or Full on the Sales Layer authorization screen.
  • In the endpoint. Use https://mcp.saleslayer.com/onlyread/mcp or https://mcp.saleslayer.com/full/mcp to pin the profile in the URL.

To change profile, disconnect and reconnect. It cannot be changed from inside a conversation.

Confirmation behavior

Full access makes a tool callable; it does not add a universal preview step. Confirmation behavior depends on the tool.

BehaviorTools
Two-step preview or confirmationdelete_category, delete_product, delete_variant, create_custom_entity, update_custom_entity, delete_custom_entity, cache_clear
Executes when calledCategory, Product, and Variant creates/updates; Attribute Set writes; layout updates; DAM writes; cache_control

For a two-step operation, the first call omits confirm and returns a preview or deletion warning. The second call includes confirm: true.

Tools in the second row do not implement that server-side two-step flow. Your MCP client may still ask you to approve a tool call before sending it, but that is a client control, not a guarantee provided by the server.

Destructive behavior to review

  • delete_product permanently removes the Product and its associated Variants.
  • delete_attribute_set normally reassigns its Products and Variants to the default set. With deleteAssociatedProductsAndVariants: true, it deletes them instead.
  • update_category_layout and update_custom_entity_layout replace the complete stored layout; they do not merge selected rows or fields.
  • Custom Entity and DAM delete tools do not repoint Catalog records that reference the deleted item or asset.
  • DAM create, update, and delete tools do not use a server-side confirm parameter.

Deletions cannot be undone. Read the current record, layout, or asset details immediately before a write, and test automated workflows against a non-production catalog first.

  • Connect with Read-only first and verify the returned catalog and assets.
  • Use Full access only for a defined workflow and only for as long as necessary.
  • Keep client-side approval enabled for all write tools.
  • Read metadata before writing tenant-specific or multilingual fields.
  • Fetch a layout before replacing it.
  • Inspect DAM numLinks before deleting a file and identify Catalog references before deleting an image.
  • Disconnect clients that are no longer in use.

Account-level configuration and profile selection are covered in Sales Layer MCP Server URLs and access modes.