diff --git a/libkwineffects/kwineffects.h b/libkwineffects/kwineffects.h
--- a/libkwineffects/kwineffects.h
+++ b/libkwineffects/kwineffects.h
@@ -661,6 +661,41 @@
     static void setPositionTransformations(WindowPaintData& data, QRect& region, EffectWindow* w,
                                            const QRect& r, Qt::AspectRatioMode aspect);
 
+    /**
+     * Whether another effect has grabbed the @p w with the given @p grabRole.
+     * @param w The window to check
+     * @param grabRole The grab role to check
+     * @returns @c true if another window has grabbed the effect, @c false otherwise
+     * @since ?.??
+     **/
+    Q_SCRIPTABLE bool isGrabbed(KWin::EffectWindow *w, DataRole grabRole);
+    /**
+     * Grabs @p w with the given @p grabRole.
+     *
+     * If the given window is already grabbed by somebody else, this method will do
+     * nothing, unless @p force is set to @c true.
+     *
+     * @param w The window to grab
+     * @param grabRole The role to grab
+     * @param force Whether to force the effect to grab the window
+     * @returns @c true if the window has been grabbed successfully, @c false otherwise
+     * @since 5.??
+     **/
+    Q_SCRIPTABLE bool grab(KWin::EffectWindow *w, DataRole grabRole, bool force = false);
+    /**
+     * Ungrabs @p w with the given @p grabRole.
+     *
+     * If the given window is grabbed by somebody else, this method will do
+     * nothing, unless @p force is set to @c true.
+     *
+     * @param w The window to ungrab
+     * @param grabRole The role to ungrab
+     * @param force Whether to force the effect to ungrab the window
+     * @returns @c true if the window has been ungrabbed successfully, @c false otherwise
+     * @since 5.??
+     **/
+    Q_SCRIPTABLE bool ungrab(KWin::EffectWindow *w, DataRole grabRole, bool force = false);
+
 public Q_SLOTS:
     virtual bool borderActivated(ElectricBorder border);
 
diff --git a/libkwineffects/kwineffects.cpp b/libkwineffects/kwineffects.cpp
--- a/libkwineffects/kwineffects.cpp
+++ b/libkwineffects/kwineffects.cpp
@@ -711,6 +711,33 @@
     return false;
 }
 
+bool Effect::isGrabbed(EffectWindow* w, DataRole grabRole)
+{
+    void *e = w->data(grabRole).value<void*>();
+    if (e) {
+        return e != this;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
+bool Effect::grab(EffectWindow *w, DataRole grabRole, bool force)
+{
+    if (isGrabbed(w, grabRole) && !force) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    w->setData(grabRole, QVariant::fromValue(static_cast<void*>(this)));
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool Effect::ungrab(EffectWindow *w, DataRole grabRole, bool force)
+{
+    if (isGrabbed(w, grabRole) && !force) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    w->setData(grabRole, QVariant());
+    return true;
+}
+
 //****************************************
 // EffectFactory
 //****************************************
diff --git a/scripting/scriptedeffect.h b/scripting/scriptedeffect.h
--- a/scripting/scriptedeffect.h
+++ b/scripting/scriptedeffect.h
@@ -69,13 +69,6 @@
     static ScriptedEffect *create(const KPluginMetaData &effect);
     static bool supported();
     virtual ~ScriptedEffect();
-    /**
-     * Whether another effect has grabbed the @p w with the given @p grabRole.
-     * @param w The window to check
-     * @param grabRole The grab role to check
-     * @returns @c true if another window has grabbed the effect, @c false otherwise
-     **/
-    Q_SCRIPTABLE bool isGrabbed(KWin::EffectWindow *w, DataRole grabRole);
     /**
      * Reads the value from the configuration data for the given key.
      * @param key The key to search for
diff --git a/scripting/scriptedeffect.cpp b/scripting/scriptedeffect.cpp
--- a/scripting/scriptedeffect.cpp
+++ b/scripting/scriptedeffect.cpp
@@ -606,16 +606,6 @@
     return AnimationEffect::retarget(animationId, newTarget, newRemainingTime);
 }
 
-bool ScriptedEffect::isGrabbed(EffectWindow* w, ScriptedEffect::DataRole grabRole)
-{
-    void *e = w->data(static_cast<KWin::DataRole>(grabRole)).value<void*>();
-    if (e) {
-        return e != this;
-    } else {
-        return false;
-    }
-}
-
 void ScriptedEffect::reconfigure(ReconfigureFlags flags)
 {
     AnimationEffect::reconfigure(flags);