list_agents

List all spawned child agents for the current task. Shows their status, model, title, and progress.

SERVERCoWork OS SOURCECoWork-OS/CoWork-OS

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/cowork-os/list-agents.md

WHAT IT DOES

What list_agents does on CoWork OS

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

RISK

Why list_agents is rated Low

This tool queries and displays information about existing agents without creating, modifying, deleting, executing, or affecting any external systems. It is purely informational—a read operation that reports on the state of child agents. The low severity reflects minimal risk from misuse, as listing agents poses no data integrity or operational hazards.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_agents' and description 'List all spawned child agents for the current task. Shows their status, model, title, and progress.' indicate a retrieval/query operation with no side effects.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

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

list_agents Allowed

list_agents 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": {
    "list_agents": {}
  }
}

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

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

FAQ

Questions about list_agents

What does the list_agents tool do? +

List all spawned child agents for the current task. Shows their status, model, title, and progress. It is categorised as a Read tool in the CoWork OS MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_agents? +

Register the CoWork OS MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_agents: 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.

What risk level is list_agents? +

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

Can I rate-limit list_agents? +

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

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

list_agents 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.

KEEP EXPLORING

More on CoWork OS, and thousands of servers like it.

This server

All 342 CoWork OS tools →

Across the catalogue

list_agents on 0rca Dojo MCP Server →aiva_list_affiliates on AIVA MCP Server → The MCP Attack Database →

Guides

Roll out MCP under one policy →Data exfiltration →MCP token cost →