web_search

Search the web for information. This is the PRIMARY tool for research tasks - finding news, trends, discussions, and information on any topic.

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/web-search.md

WHAT IT DOES

What web_search does on CoWork OS

AI agents call web_search 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 web_search is rated Low

web_search performs information retrieval from external sources without modifying, creating, or deleting any data. It is a passive read operation that returns search results. The scope is limited to gathering information, with no capability to execute commands, modify systems, or cause destructive effects.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Search the web for information' and emphasizes it as 'the PRIMARY tool for research tasks - finding news, trends, discussions, and information on any topic.' These are inherently query/retrieval operations with no side effects.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

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

web_search Allowed

web_search 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_search": {}
  }
}

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 web_search call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about web_search

What does the web_search tool do? +

Search the web for information. This is the PRIMARY tool for research tasks - finding news, trends, discussions, and information on any topic. 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 web_search? +

Register the CoWork OS MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for web_search: 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 web_search? +

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

Can I rate-limit web_search? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the web_search 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_search completely? +

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

web_search 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.

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web_search on Azure AI Agent Service + Azure AI Search MCP Server →search_torrents on M-Team MCP Server →aiva_search_customers on AIVA MCP Server →search_channel on YouTube MCP Server → The MCP Attack Database →

Guides

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