# list_agents

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

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `list_agents`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/list-agents

## Facts

- Tool: `list_agents`
- Server: CoWork OS (`CoWork-OS/CoWork-OS`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/CoWork-OS/CoWork-OS
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 0
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "list_agents",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## 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 own 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."

## Use case

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.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches CoWork OS:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "list_agents": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on CoWork OS (341)

- `cancel_agent` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/cancel-agent.md
- `cancel_video_generation_job` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/cancel-video-generation-job.md
- `cloud_sandbox_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/cloud-sandbox-delete.md
- `delete_file` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/delete-file.md
- `disable_macos_launch_agents` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/disable-macos-launch-agents.md
- `domain_dns_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/domain-dns-delete.md
- `google-workspace.calendar_event_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/google-workspace.calendar-event-delete.md
- `google-workspace.slides_delete_slide` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/google-workspace.slides-delete-slide.md
- `google-workspace.tasks_clear_completed` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/google-workspace.tasks-clear-completed.md
- `google-workspace.tasks_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/google-workspace.tasks-delete.md
- `google-workspace.tasks_lists_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/google-workspace.tasks-lists-delete.md
- `kg_delete_edge` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/kg-delete-edge.md
- `kg_delete_entity` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/kg-delete-entity.md
- `skill_delete` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/skill-delete.md
- `supermemory_forget` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/supermemory-forget.md
- `blender.render_view` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/blender.render-view.md
- `browser_act_batch` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-act-batch.md
- `browser_attach` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-attach.md
- `browser_back` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-back.md
- `browser_click` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-click.md
- `browser_close` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-close.md
- `browser_close_tab` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-close-tab.md
- `browser_drag` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-drag.md
- `browser_emulate` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-emulate.md
- `browser_evaluate` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-evaluate.md
- `browser_fill` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-fill.md
- `browser_forward` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-forward.md
- `browser_handle_dialog` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-handle-dialog.md
- `browser_hover` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-hover.md
- `browser_navigate` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os/browser-navigate.md
- …and 311 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/cowork-os.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=cowork-os · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/cowork-os