browser_navigate
Navigate the browser to a URL. By default, CoWork uses background/headless browser control unless settings or the tool input request a visible workbench.
This record as markdown: /tools/cowork-os/browser-navigate.md
What browser_navigate does on CoWork OS
AI agents invoke browser_navigate to trigger actions in CoWork OS. 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.
Why browser_navigate is rated High
Browser navigation is fundamentally an Execute action because it triggers an external operation (HTTP request, page load, potential script execution) with effects determined by the target URL. An AI agent given control of this tool could navigate to malicious sites, trigger unintended downloads, interact with services, or execute client-side scripts.
From the tool's definition The tool 'browser_navigate' performs an action that triggers external operations (navigating a browser to a URL) whose effects depend on the URL argument provided.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs browser_navigate safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and CoWork OS, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For browser_navigate, this is the rule to start with:
browser_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 CoWork OS, apply this rule, and every browser_navigate call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about browser_navigate
Navigate the browser to a URL. By default, CoWork uses background/headless browser control unless settings or the tool input request a visible workbench. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the CoWork OS MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the CoWork OS MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for browser_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 CoWork OS. Nothing to install.
browser_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 browser_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 browser_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.
browser_navigate is provided by the CoWork OS MCP server (CoWork-OS/CoWork-OS). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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