web_navigate
Navigates a web session to a URL (using its saved login if any) and returns the resulting URL + page title. Opens the session if it doesn't exist. Read the page with web_read.
This record as markdown: /tools/com-local-mcp-local-mcp/web-navigate.md
What web_navigate does on Local
AI agents invoke web_navigate to trigger actions in Local. 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.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
url | string | Yes | URL to open (https). |
session | string | — | Session name (default 'default'). |
timeout_seconds | integer | — | Max seconds to wait for load (default 25). |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why web_navigate is rated High
Navigation itself is an Execute action because it triggers external browser operations and can have side effects depending on what URL is visited (e.g., triggering scripts, logging into services, or navigating to unintended destinations). While not destructive or financial, it performs active operations beyond simple reads.
From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Navigates a web session to a URL' and 'Opens the session if it doesn't exist.' This actively controls a browser to navigate to URLs, which is an external operation whose effects depend on the provided URL argument.
Risk signalsAccepts URL/endpoint input (url)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs web_navigate safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Local, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For web_navigate, this is the rule to start with:
web_navigate 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.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Local, apply this rule, and every web_navigate call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about web_navigate
Navigates a web session to a URL (using its saved login if any) and returns the resulting URL + page title. Opens the session if it doesn't exist. Read the page with web_read. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Local MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
web_navigate accepts 3 parameters: url, session, timeout_seconds. Required: url. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Local MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for web_navigate: 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 Local. Nothing to install.
web_navigate is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the web_navigate 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 web_navigate. 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.
web_navigate is provided by the Local MCP server (local-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
More on Local, and thousands of servers like it.
Across the catalogue