diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index e7f514a..5d367cc 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+// Window-mode helpers land before main uses them; Task 2 removes this.
+#![allow(dead_code)]
+
 mod capture;
 mod config;
 mod detach;
diff --git a/src/niri.rs b/src/niri.rs
index 351dabf..1f86405 100644
--- a/src/niri.rs
+++ b/src/niri.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,20 @@
-use anyhow::{Context, Result, anyhow};
-use niri_ipc::{Request, Response, socket::Socket};
+use std::path::Path;
+use std::sync::mpsc;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use anyhow::{Context, Result, anyhow, bail};
+use niri_ipc::{Action, Event, Request, Response, Window, Workspace, socket::Socket};
 
 /// The niri release the pinned `niri-ipc` crate belongs to. Keep in sync
 /// with the `niri-ipc = "=X.Y.0"` line in Cargo.toml (a test checks this).
 pub const IPC_VERSION: (u32, u32) = (26, 4);
 
+fn connect() -> Result<Socket> {
+    Socket::connect().context("could not connect to niri (is NIRI_SOCKET set?)")
+}
+
 fn request(request: Request) -> Result<Response> {
-    let mut socket =
-        Socket::connect().context("could not connect to niri (is NIRI_SOCKET set?)")?;
-    socket
+    connect()?
         .send(request)
         .context("niri IPC request failed")?
         .map_err(|e| anyhow!("niri replied with an error: {e}"))
@@ -22,6 +28,75 @@ pub fn focused_output() -> Result<Option<String>> {
     }
 }
 
+/// Lets the user click a window; niri shows its own pick cursor.
+/// `None` if they pressed Esc.
+pub fn pick_window() -> Result<Option<Window>> {
+    match request(Request::PickWindow)? {
+        Response::PickedWindow(window) => Ok(window),
+        other => Err(anyhow!("unexpected niri reply: {other:?}")),
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn workspaces() -> Result<Vec<Workspace>> {
+    match request(Request::Workspaces)? {
+        Response::Workspaces(workspaces) => Ok(workspaces),
+        other => Err(anyhow!("unexpected niri reply: {other:?}")),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Has niri render window `id` into `path` (absolute) and waits until the
+/// file is written.
+pub fn screenshot_window(id: u64, path: &Path, cursor: bool, timeout: Duration) -> Result<()> {
+    // Listen before asking, so the event can't come and go unseen.
+    let mut events = connect()?;
+    events
+        .send(Request::EventStream)
+        .context("niri IPC request failed")?
+        .map_err(|e| anyhow!("niri replied with an error: {e}"))?;
+    let mut read = events.read_events();
+    let (tx, rx) = mpsc::channel();
+    let wanted = path.to_path_buf();
+    std::thread::spawn(move || {
+        while let Ok(event) = read() {
+            if is_our_capture(&event, &wanted) {
+                let _ = tx.send(());
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+    });
+
+    let path = path
+        .to_str()
+        .context("the temporary screenshot path is not valid UTF-8")?;
+    match request(Request::Action(Action::ScreenshotWindow {
+        id: Some(id),
+        write_to_disk: true,
+        show_pointer: cursor,
+        path: Some(path.to_owned()),
+    }))? {
+        Response::Handled => {}
+        other => bail!("unexpected niri reply: {other:?}"),
+    }
+    rx.recv_timeout(timeout).map_err(|_| {
+        anyhow!(
+            "niri did not deliver the window screenshot within {}s",
+            timeout.as_secs()
+        )
+    })
+}
+
+/// Whether `event` reports the screenshot written to `path`. niri reports
+/// every screenshot on the stream, including its own bindings'.
+pub fn is_our_capture(event: &Event, path: &Path) -> bool {
+    matches!(event, Event::ScreenshotCaptured { path: Some(p) } if Path::new(p) == path)
+}
+
+/// The output showing the workspace a window is on, if niri knows it.
+pub fn output_of(workspace_id: Option<u64>, workspaces: &[Workspace]) -> Option<String> {
+    let id = workspace_id?;
+    workspaces.iter().find(|w| w.id == id)?.output.clone()
+}
+
 /// niri's version string, e.g. "26.04 (Nixpkgs)".
 pub fn version() -> Result<String> {
     match request(Request::Version)? {
@@ -41,6 +116,49 @@ pub fn parse_version(v: &str) -> Option<(u32, u32)> {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    fn ws(id: u64, output: Option<&str>) -> Workspace {
+        Workspace {
+            id,
+            idx: 1,
+            name: None,
+            output: output.map(str::to_owned),
+            is_urgent: false,
+            is_active: true,
+            is_focused: false,
+            active_window_id: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn only_our_capture_counts() {
+        let ours = Path::new("/run/user/1000/valw-window-7.png");
+        let captured = |p: Option<&str>| Event::ScreenshotCaptured {
+            path: p.map(str::to_owned),
+        };
+        assert!(is_our_capture(
+            &captured(Some("/run/user/1000/valw-window-7.png")),
+            ours
+        ));
+        assert!(
+            !is_our_capture(&captured(None), ours),
+            "clipboard-only shot"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            !is_our_capture(&captured(Some("/home/u/Pictures/Screenshot.png")), ours),
+            "niri's own binding"
+        );
+        assert!(!is_our_capture(&Event::WindowClosed { id: 3 }, ours));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn output_of_follows_the_workspace() {
+        let all = [ws(1, Some("DP-1")), ws(2, Some("HDMI-A-1")), ws(3, None)];
+        assert_eq!(output_of(Some(2), &all), Some("HDMI-A-1".to_owned()));
+        assert_eq!(output_of(None, &all), None, "no workspace");
+        assert_eq!(output_of(Some(9), &all), None, "unknown workspace");
+        assert_eq!(output_of(Some(3), &all), None, "workspace without output");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn parses_versions() {
         assert_eq!(parse_version("26.04 (Nixpkgs)"), Some((26, 4)));