browser.hover · MCP Playwright Browser MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What browser.hover does on MCP Playwright Browser

AI agents invoke browser.hover to trigger actions in MCP Playwright Browser. 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 IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why browser.hover needs a policy

Hovering is a browser action that executes an interaction in an external system (the browser/page). While it is generally low-impact, it can trigger JavaScript event handlers, reveal hidden UI elements, or initiate network requests, making it an Execute-category action rather than a simple Read.

From the tool's definition 'Hover an element' — triggers a browser interaction (mouse hover) on a web page element, which can cause side effects such as revealing menus, triggering JavaScript events, or changing page state.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

browser.hover Rate-limited

browser.hover 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.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "browser.hover": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "browser.hover_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches MCP Playwright Browser, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about browser.hover

What does the browser.hover tool do? +

Hover an element by uid, elementId, selector, or text. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the MCP Playwright Browser MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on browser.hover? +

Register the MCP Playwright Browser MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for browser.hover: 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 MCP Playwright Browser. Nothing to install.

What risk level is browser.hover? +

browser.hover is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit browser.hover? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the browser.hover 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 browser.hover completely? +

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

browser.hover is provided by the MCP Playwright Browser MCP server (mhrnqaruni/mcp-playwright-browser). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

// THE FULL RECORD

browser.hover is one line of MCP Playwright Browser's registry record.

The record carries the whole server: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, every tool classified, recommended policy — re-checked continuously.

Teams ship this data inside their own products. See what a licence covers →