navigate_tool · Open MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What navigate_tool does on Openmcp

AI agents invoke navigate_tool to trigger actions in Openmcp. 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 navigate_tool needs a policy

Navigation triggers external HTTP requests and changes application state (page load, scripts execution, redirects). This is an Execute category action because it runs external operations (web navigation) whose side effects depend on user-supplied arguments.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'navigate_tool' combined with server description stating 'automate web tasks such as browsing, clicking, typing, and taking screenshots.' Navigation is an external operation that triggers web requests and state changes whose effects depend on the…

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

navigate_tool Rate-limited

navigate_tool 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": {
    "navigate_tool": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "navigate_tool_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 Openmcp, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about navigate_tool

What does the navigate_tool tool do? +

navigate_tool. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Openmcp MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on navigate_tool? +

Register the Open MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for navigate_tool: 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 Openmcp. Nothing to install.

What risk level is navigate_tool? +

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

Can I rate-limit navigate_tool? +

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

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

navigate_tool is provided by the Open MCP server (openmcp-pro/openmcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.