diff --git a/crates/engine/src/commands.rs b/crates/engine/src/commands.rs
index 48ce4a9332..923f049643 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/commands.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/commands.rs
@@ -1283,6 +1283,7 @@ fn build() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
         });
     }
     v.extend(crate::layer_style::specs());
+    v.extend(crate::layer_list_cmds::specs());
     v.extend(crate::filters::specs());
     v.extend(crate::filters_ext::specs());
     v.extend(crate::color_to_alpha_cmds::specs());
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/layer_list_cmds.rs b/crates/engine/src/layer_list_cmds.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6ced6ae0d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/engine/src/layer_list_cmds.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+//! `layer.list`: the layer tree alone, for agents and scripts (#5059). `document.inspect` also has
+//! it, buried among history, channels and much more; an agent looking for the layers' ids looks
+//! for a `layer.*` command first.
+
+use photocraft_doc::{Layer, LayerContent, LayerId};
+use serde_json::{Value, json};
+
+use crate::commands::CommandSpec;
+use crate::{DocState, EngineError, Result, Session};
+
+const ID: &str = "layer.list";
+
+/// Groups nest at most this deep in the listing; deeper layers are left out (documents can be
+/// deep, and the tree is built recursively).
+const MAX_DEPTH: usize = 256;
+
+fn has_doc(s: &Session) -> std::result::Result<(), String> {
+    s.active().map(|_| ()).ok_or_else(|| "no document open".into())
+}
+
+/// One layer's row: what an agent needs to pick a layer to work on.
+fn row(l: &Layer, selected: &[LayerId], active: Option<LayerId>) -> Value {
+    let bounds = crate::layer_multi_cmds::layer_bounds(l).map(|r| [r.x0, r.y0, r.width() as i32, r.height() as i32]);
+    json!({
+        "id": l.id.0,
+        "name": l.name,
+        "kind": l.content.kind_name(),
+        "visible": l.visible,
+        "bounds": bounds,
+        "selected": selected.contains(&l.id),
+        "active": active == Some(l.id),
+    })
+}
+
+/// The layers top-down (the Layers panel's order), groups with their `children`.
+fn tree(layers: &[Layer], d: &DocState, selected: &[LayerId], depth: usize) -> Vec<Value> {
+    if depth >= MAX_DEPTH {
+        return Vec::new();
+    }
+    layers
+        .iter()
+        .rev()
+        .map(|l| {
+            let mut v = row(l, selected, d.active_layer);
+            if let LayerContent::Group(g) = &l.content {
+                v["children"] = Value::Array(tree(&g.children, d, selected, depth + 1));
+            }
+            v
+        })
+        .collect()
+}
+
+/// The layers top-down as one list, each with its `depth` (0 = top level) and `parent` group id.
+fn flat(layers: &[Layer], d: &DocState, selected: &[LayerId], parent: Option<LayerId>, depth: usize, out: &mut Vec<Value>) {
+    if depth >= MAX_DEPTH {
+        return;
+    }
+    for l in layers.iter().rev() {
+        let mut v = row(l, selected, d.active_layer);
+        v["depth"] = json!(depth);
+        v["parent"] = json!(parent.map(|p| p.0));
+        out.push(v);
+        if let LayerContent::Group(g) = &l.content {
+            flat(&g.children, d, selected, Some(l.id), depth + 1, out);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn run(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
+    let bad = |msg: &str| EngineError::BadParams { cmd: ID.into(), msg: msg.into() };
+    let d = match p.get("document") {
+        None | Some(Value::Null) => s.active().ok_or(EngineError::NoDocument)?,
+        Some(v) => {
+            let i = v.as_u64().and_then(|v| usize::try_from(v).ok()).ok_or_else(|| bad("`document` must be an index"))?;
+            s.documents().get(i).ok_or_else(|| EngineError::Other(format!("no document at index {i}")))?
+        }
+    };
+    let as_flat = match p.get("flat") {
+        None | Some(Value::Null) => false,
+        Some(v) => v.as_bool().ok_or_else(|| bad("`flat` must be true or false"))?,
+    };
+    let selected = d.selected_layers();
+    let layers = if as_flat {
+        let mut out = Vec::new();
+        flat(&d.doc.layers, d, &selected, None, 0, &mut out);
+        out
+    } else {
+        tree(&d.doc.layers, d, &selected, 0)
+    };
+    Ok(json!({"layers": layers, "activeLayer": d.active_layer.map(|l| l.0)}))
+}
+
+pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
+    vec![CommandSpec {
+        id: ID,
+        label: "List Layers",
+        menu: &[],
+        shortcut: None,
+        params: r##"{"document":index?,"flat":bool=false} → {"layers":[{"id","name","kind","visible","bounds":[x,y,w,h]|null,"selected","active","children"?}],"activeLayer":id?} (top-down; groups list their "children", or with "flat" every layer is one row with its "depth" and "parent" group id)"##,
+        enabled: has_doc,
+        run,
+        journal: false,
+    }]
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    fn session_with_doc() -> Session {
+        let mut s = Session::new();
+        s.execute("file.new", json!({"width": 64, "height": 48})).unwrap();
+        s
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn lists_ids_names_kinds_and_nesting_top_down() {
+        let mut s = session_with_doc();
+        let bg = s.active().unwrap().active_layer.unwrap().0;
+        let inner = s.execute("layer.new.layer", json!({})).unwrap()["layer"].as_u64().unwrap();
+        s.execute("edit.fill", json!({"color": "#ff0000"})).unwrap();
+        s.execute("layer.groupLayers", json!({})).unwrap();
+        let group = s.active().unwrap().doc.layers.last().unwrap().id.0;
+        s.execute("layer.select", json!({"layer": inner})).unwrap();
+        s.execute("layer.setProps", json!({"layer": bg, "visible": false})).unwrap();
+        let r = s.execute(ID, json!({})).unwrap();
+        let layers = r["layers"].as_array().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(layers.len(), 2, "{r}");
+        assert_eq!((layers[0]["id"].as_u64(), layers[0]["kind"].as_str()), (Some(group), Some("Group")), "{r}");
+        assert_eq!(layers[0]["children"][0]["id"], inner, "{r}");
+        assert_eq!(layers[0]["children"][0]["active"], true, "{r}");
+        assert!(layers[0]["children"][0]["bounds"].is_array(), "{r}");
+        assert_eq!(layers[0]["bounds"], layers[0]["children"][0]["bounds"], "a group spans its children");
+        assert_eq!((layers[1]["id"].as_u64(), layers[1]["name"].as_str(), layers[1]["visible"].as_bool()), (Some(bg), Some("Background"), Some(false)));
+        assert!(layers[1].get("children").is_none());
+        assert_eq!(r["activeLayer"], inner);
+        // Flat: one row per layer, with its depth and parent group.
+        let r = s.execute(ID, json!({"flat": true})).unwrap();
+        let rows: Vec<(u64, u64, Option<u64>)> =
+            r["layers"].as_array().unwrap().iter().map(|l| (l["id"].as_u64().unwrap(), l["depth"].as_u64().unwrap(), l["parent"].as_u64())).collect();
+        assert_eq!(rows, [(group, 0, None), (inner, 1, Some(group)), (bg, 0, None)]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn is_a_query_and_leaves_the_document_alone() {
+        let mut s = session_with_doc();
+        let revision = s.active().unwrap().revision;
+        let journal = s.journal.len();
+        s.execute(ID, json!({})).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!((s.active().unwrap().revision, s.journal.len()), (revision, journal));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn bad_params_are_errors_not_panics() {
+        let mut s = Session::new();
+        assert!(s.execute(ID, json!({})).is_err(), "no document");
+        let mut s = session_with_doc();
+        for p in [json!({"flat": "yes"}), json!({"document": -1}), json!({"document": 99}), json!({"document": u64::MAX}), json!({"document": "a"})] {
+            assert!(s.execute(ID, p.clone()).is_err(), "{p}");
+        }
+        assert!(s.execute(ID, json!({"document": 0, "flat": false})).is_ok());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/lib.rs b/crates/engine/src/lib.rs
index ff3cde6e4c..f3e683be4f 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/lib.rs
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ pub mod jobs;
 pub mod kys;
 pub mod layer_copy_cmds;
 pub mod layer_label_cmds;
+pub mod layer_list_cmds;
 pub mod layer_mask_props_cmds;
 pub mod layer_menu_cmds;
 pub mod layer_multi_cmds;
diff --git a/docs/control-protocol.md b/docs/control-protocol.md
index 4fa1c60c6e..1cf47c17a6 100644
--- a/docs/control-protocol.md
+++ b/docs/control-protocol.md
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ store expose and persist the same setting; scripts keep using canonical command
 | `paint.stroke` | `{"points":[[x,y,pressure],…],"size":20,"color":"#ff0000"}` |
 | `select.rect` | `{"x":0,"y":0,"width":100,"height":50,"mode":"add","ellipse":false}` |
 | `document.inspect` | `{}`: layer tree, history, snapshots (`[{id, name}]`, for `history.selectSnapshot`), selection bounds |
+| `layer.list` | `{"document":index?,"flat":bool?}`: just the layers, top-down: `id`, `name`, `kind`, `visible`, `bounds` (`[x,y,w,h]` or null), `selected`, `active`; groups list their `children`, or with `flat` every layer is one row with its `depth` and `parent` group id |
 | `document.pixel` | `{"x":10,"y":10}`: composite RGBA |
 | `document.presets.list` | `{}` → `{presets:[{name,settings}]}`: saved New Document configurations |
 | `document.presets.save` | `{"name":"Product square","settings":{"width":1600,"height":1600,"background":"transparent"}}`: save a snapshot; names are trimmed, 1–255 characters, and ASCII case-insensitive duplicates are rejected |