web_screenshot

Captures a PNG screenshot of the current page of a web session (returned inline so web AIs can see it). Useful to ground what the page looks like before acting.

SERVERLocal SOURCElocal-mcp

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 10 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/com-local-mcp-local-mcp/web-screenshot.md

WHAT IT DOES

What web_screenshot does on Local

AI agents call web_screenshot to retrieve information from Local without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`session`	string	—	Session name (a named login profile, e.g. 'linkedin'). Defaults to 'default'.

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

RISK

Why web_screenshot is rated Low

This is a read-only operation that captures visual state of a web page for observation purposes. While screenshots could theoretically reveal sensitive information on screen, the tool itself performs no write, destructive, execute, or financial operations. It is passive data retrieval, classified as Read.

From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Captures a PNG screenshot of the current page' - a retrieval operation with no side effects. The screenshot is informational only, used to 'ground what the page looks like before acting.' No data is modified, deleted, or executed.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs web_screenshot 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_screenshot, this is the rule to start with:

web_screenshot Allowed

web_screenshot is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "web_screenshot": {}
  }
}

ALLOW ONLY THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Local, apply this rule, and every web_screenshot call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about web_screenshot

What does the web_screenshot tool do? +

Captures a PNG screenshot of the current page of a web session (returned inline so web AIs can see it). Useful to ground what the page looks like before acting. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Local MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

What parameters does web_screenshot accept? +

web_screenshot accepts 1 parameter: session. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.

How do I enforce a policy on web_screenshot? +

Register the Local MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for web_screenshot: 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.

What risk level is web_screenshot? +

web_screenshot is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit web_screenshot? +

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

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

web_screenshot 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.

KEEP EXPLORING

More on Local, and thousands of servers like it.

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All 234 Local tools →

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