Every tool Talos can use.
And the risk level of each one.
Talos does not improvise changes to your site. Every action it can take is a defined tool with validated inputs, a permission check and a declared risk level — and you can disable any of them individually. This is the full catalog.
- 49
- 31
- 13
- 5
Read
Inspects only. Available in every mode, including Ask.
Write
Changes the site. Agent mode only, and tracked in a change set where supported.
High impact
Agent mode only, and gated behind an explicit confirmation in chat.
Risk levels decide what needs your approval
Every tool is classified as read, write or high impact. Read tools inspect and are available in every mode, including inspect-only Ask mode. Write tools change the site and are Agent-mode only. High impact tools are Agent-mode only and stop for an explicit confirmation in chat.
You set the policy per tool
In settings, each tool can be disabled entirely, set to always ask, or fully allowed. A disabled tool is not merely blocked — it is hidden from the agent, so it never appears as an option.
The catalog is extensible
Tools are registered through a filterable registry, so a developer can add site-specific tools or remove ones that do not apply, using the wp_engineer_agent_tools and wp_engineer_agent_tool_definitions filters.
The specifics.
Policy options
Disabled · Always ask · Fully allowed
Risk bands
Read · Write · High impact
Mode restriction
Write and high impact are Agent mode only
Extensibility
Filterable tool registry
49 tools, grouped by what they touch.
Context and conversation
How the agent orients itself before acting, and how it hands control back to you mid-run.
5 tools
get_site_contextCompact site summary: versions, active theme, plugins, content counts and the current admin screen.
search_past_conversationsSearch prior chats and reports, or load one session’s messages for continuity.
ask_questionPause the run and show an interactive multiple-choice question in chat.
submit_planSubmit a structured plan for your approval before any work starts. Used in Plan mode.
search_webPublic web search for current background information, such as a newly disclosed vulnerability.
Plugin management
Read-only inspection of plugin source, plus lifecycle actions that all sit behind confirmation gates.
10 tools
list_pluginsList installed plugins with status, version and available updates.
get_pluginFull details for one plugin, by file path or name.
grep_plugin_filesRegex-search sandboxed plugin source code.
read_plugin_fileRead numbered line ranges from a plugin file, capped at 200 lines per call.
search_wp_pluginsSearch the WordPress.org plugin directory.
activate_pluginActivate an installed plugin.
deactivate_pluginDeactivate a plugin. Talos cannot deactivate itself.
install_pluginInstall from WordPress.org by slug, with optional activation.
update_pluginUpdate an installed plugin.
delete_pluginPermanently delete an inactive plugin.
Content
Everything behind Posts, Pages, Media and the taxonomy screens, available as structured actions.
7 tools
search_postsKeyword search across posts, pages and public post types.
get_postLoad a single post or page by ID.
create_post_draftCreate a draft post or page.
manage_contentList, read, create, update, trash and restore content, plus revisions and meta.
manage_mediaList, inspect and edit media, alt text and featured images. Existing attachments only.
manage_taxonomyDiscover taxonomies, then list, create, update, delete and assign terms.
manage_commentsList, read, create, edit, moderate, trash, restore and delete comments.
Native WordPress administration
The routine administration surfaces, with allowlists and redaction around anything sensitive.
7 tools
manage_menusNavigation menus and their items.
manage_usersUsers and roles. Passwords are never accepted or returned.
manage_themesList, inspect, activate and update themes. No remote install or delete.
inspect_settingsRead allowlisted settings. Secrets, protected and serialized values are denied or redacted.
update_settingUpdate one allowlisted setting, with validation.
inspect_databaseTable, column and index metadata. No row data.
query_database_readonlyBounded SELECT, SHOW, DESCRIBE and EXPLAIN. Dangerous SQL is blocked and secrets redacted.
Diagnostics and site health
Bounded, redacted reads of the signals you would otherwise gather by hand across six different screens.
7 tools
inspect_site_healthRuns bounded WordPress Site Health direct tests and returns structured findings.
read_error_logsBounded, redacted log tail with search, a time window and error grouping.
inspect_cronWP-Cron events, overdue items, schedules and unusually frequent hooks.
inspect_httpOne bounded same-site loopback or REST check, reporting status, latency and size.
inspect_database_healthDatabase server metrics, connection pressure and the largest prefixed tables.
inspect_cacheObject cache state, transients and autoloaded-option pressure.
compare_diagnosticsDiff two diagnostic snapshots to show what actually moved.
Change sets and restore
The audit trail. Every tracked write can be previewed, verified against checksums and reversed.
4 tools
preview_change_setPreview rollback order and conflicts without touching the site.
verify_change_setVerify current resources against the change set’s recorded checksums.
get_restore_pointRestore point metadata, approval state, checksums and pre/post images.
rollback_change_setRoll back an approved change set in reverse order. Refuses resources that have drifted.
Skills, workflows and jobs
How one-off work becomes repeatable, and how long-running work survives a page refresh.
5 tools
manage_learned_skillDraft, approve, reject, search and inspect learned skills. Approve and replay escalate risk.
manage_agent_workflowDraft and inspect scheduled or hook-triggered workflows. Drafting counts as a write.
send_workflow_email_reportEmail a workflow report to its fixed recipients. The agent cannot change the To list.
get_job_statusDurable job status, result and history.
cancel_jobRequest cancellation of a queued, running or approval-paused job.
Reports and visuals
Structured output rendered inline in chat, so findings arrive with evidence attached.
4 tools
create_reportInline structured report cards for security, SEO, health and other audits, with file and line evidence.
create_chartInline bar, line, area and pie charts built from real site data.
create_tableInline structured data tables.
generate_imageGenerate an image via OpenAI or xAI and save it to the media library.
Good to know.
Can I stop Talos touching plugins entirely?
Yes. Disable the plugin lifecycle tools — install, activate, deactivate, update and delete — in the per-tool policy editor. They will be hidden from the agent, so it will not propose them.
What stops the agent using a tool it should not?
Several layers. The mode restricts which risk bands are available at all, per-tool policy can disable or gate each one, workflow scopes further narrow what an unattended run can do, and a capability mapping checks the acting user’s WordPress capabilities.
Does Talos have shell or filesystem write access?
No. Source access is read-only and sandboxed to plugin and theme directories, and there is no shell tool. Writes go through validated WordPress APIs.
Put an agent to work in WordPress.
Spend less time clicking through admin and more time moving your site forward.