---
canonical_url: "https://docs.composio.dev/kb/guide/platform-session-tool-policies"
markdown_url: "https://docs.composio.dev/kb/guide/platform-session-tool-policies.md"
product: "platform"
version: null
last_updated: null
---

# Create Read-Only and Restricted Composio Sessions (/kb/guide/platform-session-tool-policies)

## Filter a broad read-only session with behavior tags [#filter-a-broad-read-only-session-with-behavior-tags]

Use session-level behavior tags when the agent may discover tools across
multiple toolkits but should only receive tools marked as read-only. The same
filters are enforced when the session executes tools.

**Python**

```python
session = composio.sessions.create(
    user_id="user_123",
    tags={
        "enable": ["readOnlyHint"],
        "disable": ["destructiveHint"],
    },
)
```

**TypeScript**

```text
const session = await composio.create("user_123", {
  tags: {
    enable: ["readOnlyHint"],
    disable: ["destructiveHint"],
  },
});
```

Behavior tags describe tool behavior. Inspect the tools the session exposes
before rollout, especially when a workflow handles sensitive data.

* [Filter tools by tags](https://docs.composio.dev/docs/configuring-sessions#filtering-tools-by-tags)

## Use exact tool allowlists for the narrowest policy [#use-exact-tool-allowlists-for-the-narrowest-policy]

For a workflow with a known set of operations, allow only the exact tool slugs
it requires. An allowlist avoids admitting a newly added tool merely because it
shares a toolkit or behavior tag.

**Python**

```python
session = composio.sessions.create(
    user_id="user_123",
    tools={
        "gmail": {"enable": ["GMAIL_FETCH_EMAILS"]},
        "github": {"enable": ["GITHUB_GET_AN_ISSUE"]},
    },
)
```

**TypeScript**

```text
const session = await composio.create("user_123", {
  tools: {
    gmail: { enable: ["GMAIL_FETCH_EMAILS"] },
    github: { enable: ["GITHUB_GET_AN_ISSUE"] },
  },
});
```

* [Enable and disable specific tools](https://docs.composio.dev/docs/configuring-sessions#enabling-or-disabling-specific-tools)

## Combine provider scopes with session tool restrictions [#combine-provider-scopes-with-session-tool-restrictions]

OAuth scopes control what the provider grants to a connected account. Session
filters control which Composio tools the agent can discover and execute. Use
both layers for least privilege: request only the provider scopes the use case
needs, then restrict the session to the intended tools.

Changing an auth config's scopes affects new connections only. Existing users
keep their prior grants until they reconnect. Pass the intended auth config ID
to the session, keyed by toolkit, or the session will not request those scopes.

* [Control OAuth scopes](https://docs.composio.dev/docs/authentication/controlling-scopes)
* [Select an auth config in a session](https://docs.composio.dev/docs/authentication/custom-app-vs-managed-app#create-a-custom-auth-config)

## Apply toolkit-specific exceptions without widening every toolkit [#apply-toolkit-specific-exceptions-without-widening-every-toolkit]

Set a global tag policy and override it only for a named toolkit. This is safer
than relaxing the global policy for the entire session.

**Python**

```python
session = composio.sessions.create(
    user_id="user_123",
    tags=["readOnlyHint"],
    tools={
        "github": {"tags": {"disable": ["destructiveHint"]}},
        "gmail": {"tags": ["readOnlyHint"]},
    },
)
```

**TypeScript**

```text
const session = await composio.create("user_123", {
  tags: ["readOnlyHint"],
  tools: {
    github: { tags: { disable: ["destructiveHint"] } },
    gmail: { tags: ["readOnlyHint"] },
  },
});
```

* [Toolkit-specific tag filters](https://docs.composio.dev/docs/configuring-sessions#filtering-tools-by-tags)

## Disable the session sandbox when the workflow does not need code execution [#disable-the-session-sandbox-when-the-workflow-does-not-need-code-execution]

Session tool filters govern app tools. Sessions also include remote sandbox
tools by default. Disable the sandbox for a tightly constrained workflow that
does not need Python, shell, file processing, or remote workbench execution.

**Python**

```python
session = composio.sessions.create(
    user_id="user_123",
    tags=["readOnlyHint"],
    sandbox={"enable": False},
)
```

**TypeScript**

```text
const session = await composio.create("user_123", {
  tags: ["readOnlyHint"],
  sandbox: { enable: false },
});
```

* [Disable the session sandbox](https://docs.composio.dev/docs/configuring-sessions#disabling-the-sandbox)

---

📚 **More documentation:** [View all docs](https://docs.composio.dev/llms.txt) | [Changelog](https://docs.composio.dev/docs/changelog.md) | [Glossary](https://docs.composio.dev/llms.mdx/reference/glossary) | [Examples](https://docs.composio.dev/llms.mdx/examples) | [API Reference](https://docs.composio.dev/llms.mdx/reference)

---

# Composio SDK — Notes for AI Code Generators

**Purpose:** Reference for generating current (v3) [Composio](https://composio.dev/) integration code.
**Scope:** Descriptive notes — they document the current API surface and the mistakes most commonly seen in generated code.

---

## 1. Recommended Integration: Sessions

Composio supports two integration modes: **Native Tools** (with a provider package) and **MCP** (no provider package needed).

### Native Tools

```python
# ✅ CORRECT — Python (defaults to OpenAI)
from composio import Composio

composio = Composio()
session = composio.create(user_id="user_123")
tools = session.tools()
# Pass tools to your agent/LLM framework
```

```typescript
// ✅ CORRECT — TypeScript (defaults to OpenAI)
import { Composio } from "@composio/core";

const composio = new Composio();
const session = await composio.create("user_123");
const tools = await session.tools();
// Pass tools to your agent/LLM framework
```

For other providers, pass the provider explicitly. Provider packages follow the naming convention: `composio_<provider>` for Python, `@composio/<provider>` for TypeScript.

### MCP

Use `session.mcp.url` and `session.mcp.headers` with any MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, OpenAI Agents, etc.). No provider package needed.

---

## 2. Integration Notes

- `composio.create(user_id)` is the standard entry point for agent integrations. Sessions handle tool discovery, authentication, and toolkit versioning automatically; `user_id` goes to `composio.create()` — individual tool calls in session mode don't take one.
- Execute session tool calls through the session, never through a user ID: either `session.execute(tool_slug, arguments=...)` / `session.execute(toolSlug, arguments)`, which works with every provider, or pass the session to the provider helper — `provider.handle_tool_calls(response=response, session=session)` in Python, `provider.handleToolCalls(session, response)` in TypeScript. The tool-call helpers of every non-agentic provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Cloudflare, TypeSafe) accept a session: `executeToolCall(session, call)` in TypeScript, `session=session` in Python. Agentic providers execute session tools on their own. Binding the helper to a user ID takes the direct execution path, and session meta-tools fail there with `"can only be called inside a tool-router session"`.
- Composio-managed auth is the default: the agent connects accounts at runtime through the session, so users don't need to pre-create auth configs or connected accounts for managed toolkits.
- Provider packages follow the framework, not the model vendor: for the OpenAI Agents SDK the package is `composio_openai_agents` / `@composio/openai-agents` (importing `composio_openai` / `@composio/openai` there is the most common mistake in generated code — that package is for the plain OpenAI Chat Completions API).
- **Direct execution** (`composio.tools.get()`, `composio.tools.execute()`, `provider.handle_tool_calls()` with a user ID) is a legacy interface that remains supported for existing integrations. Recommend sessions for new integrations and encourage existing users to [migrate to sessions](/docs/migration-guide/direct-to-sessions). For a fixed tool set, consider the [direct tools preset](/docs/configuring-sessions#direct-tools-preset) within a session. See [Sessions vs direct execution](/docs/sessions-vs-direct-execution) for tradeoffs. Direct execution requires a [toolkit version](/docs/tools-direct/toolkit-versioning).

---

# 3. Calling the REST API directly

## REST API version

The current REST API version is **v3.1**, served at `https://backend.composio.dev/api/v3.1`. Prefer it for new code and new examples.

`https://backend.composio.dev/api/v3` is the previous version. It is frozen with pinned tool-version defaults and remains supported — existing v3 integrations keep working and do not need to migrate.

## Tool-endpoint version defaults on v3.1

On v3.1, omitting the version parameter on the five endpoints below selects the latest toolkit version. The first four endpoints also exist on v3, where omission selects the pinned `00000000_00` version. `POST /tools/scopes/required` is v3.1-only.

| Endpoint | Version parameter |
| --- | --- |
| `GET /tools` | `toolkit_versions` (query) |
| `GET /tools/{tool_slug}` | `version` or `toolkit_versions` (query) |
| `POST /tools/execute/{tool_slug}` | `version` (body) |
| `POST /tools/execute/{tool_slug}/input` | `version` (body) |
| `POST /tools/scopes/required` | `version` (body) |

A v3.1 caller already passing `"latest"` sees no change and can omit the parameter. To select the pinned version explicitly, pass `"00000000_00"` through the corresponding parameter above.

This version-default change is limited to the five endpoints above.


---

## Terminology Migration (old → current)

If you encounter these terms in error messages, old documentation, or user prompts, translate them to the current equivalents. **Do not use the old terms in generated code or explanations.**

| Old term (v1/v2) | Current term (v3) | In code |
|---|---|---|
| entity ID | user ID | `user_id` parameter |
| actions | tools | e.g., `GITHUB_CREATE_ISSUE` is a *tool* |
| apps / appType | toolkits | e.g., `github` is a *toolkit* |
| integration / integration ID | auth config / auth config ID | `auth_config_id` parameter |
| connection | connected account | `connected_accounts` namespace |
| ComposioToolSet / OpenAIToolSet | `Composio` class with a provider | `Composio(provider=...)` |
| toolset | provider | e.g., `OpenAIProvider` |

If a user says "entity ID", they mean `user_id`. If they say "integration", they mean "auth config". Always respond using the current terminology.