browser_take_screenshot
Take a screenshot of the current page. You can
This record as markdown: /tools/cowork-bench/browser-take-screenshot.md
What browser_take_screenshot does on Cowork Bench
AI agents call browser_take_screenshot to retrieve information from Cowork Bench without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Why browser_take_screenshot is rated Low
Taking a screenshot retrieves visual data from the current page state with no side effects, modifications, or reversible changes. This is purely observational and falls squarely into the Read category. Low severity because the blast radius of misuse is minimal—an agent could only view the current page content, which is already in scope.
From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Take a screenshot of the current page' - a read-only operation that captures visual content without modifying, deleting, or executing code. The incomplete description ('You can') does not suggest any side effects or state changes.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs browser_take_screenshot safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Cowork Bench, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For browser_take_screenshot, this is the rule to start with:
browser_take_screenshot is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Cowork Bench, apply this rule, and every browser_take_screenshot call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about browser_take_screenshot
Take a screenshot of the current page. You can. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Cowork Bench MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Cowork Bench MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for browser_take_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 Cowork Bench. Nothing to install.
browser_take_screenshot is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the browser_take_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.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for browser_take_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.
browser_take_screenshot is provided by the Cowork Bench MCP server (0717376/cowork_bench). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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