Overview

Tools let agents do things - not just chat, but actually take actions like searching docs, calling APIs, reading files, or running code.

Configure tools in your agent dashboard - no coding required.

What Are Tools?

Think of tools as actions your agent can perform:

• Search through documentation
• Query your database
• Call external APIs
• Read/write files
• Execute code
• Send emails
• Create tasks

Without tools: Agent can only chat
With tools: Agent can actually do work

How Tools Work

When a user asks something:

1. Agent analyzes the request
2. Decides if a tool is needed
3. Calls the appropriate tool
4. Gets the result
5. Uses result in the response

Example:

User: "What's in the docs about pricing?"

Agent thinks: Need to search docs
→ Calls search_docs tool with query "pricing"
→ Gets relevant doc sections
→ Responds: "According to our docs, pricing starts at..."

Available Tools

Built-In Tools

Oblien provides ready-to-use tools:

File Operations:

• Read files from workspace
• Write/create files
• List directory contents
• Delete files

Code Execution:

• Run code in isolated environment
• Install packages
• Execute terminal commands

Web & APIs:

• Make HTTP requests
• Search the web
• Call external APIs

Data:

• Query databases
• Search documents
• Process data

Custom Tools

Create your own tools for specific needs:

• Query your CRM
• Check inventory
• Create support tickets
• Send notifications
• Update records

Contact support to add custom tools.

Configuring Tools

In Dashboard

1. Go to your agent
2. Click Tools tab
3. Enable/disable tools
4. Configure each tool

Tool Settings

For each tool:

Enable/Disable - Turn tool on or off
Description - What the tool does (agent reads this)
Parameters - What inputs the tool needs
Permissions - What the tool can access

Example: Search Tool

Name: search_docs
Description: Search company documentation for information
Enabled: ✅ Yes
Parameters:
  - query (required): Search term
  - limit (optional): Max results (default: 5)

When Tools Are Used

Automatic Usage

The agent automatically decides when to use tools based on:

• User's question
• Tool descriptions
• Available tools
• Context of conversation

You don't tell it when to use tools - it figures it out.

Tool Chaining

Agents can use multiple tools:

User: "Find the bug in user.js and fix it"

Agent:

1. Uses read_file tool → gets user.js content
2. Analyzes the code
3. Uses write_file tool → fixes the bug
4. Responds with explanation

Tool Results

In Chat UI

When the agent uses a tool, users see:

Agent: Let me search the docs for you...
[Using search_docs tool]
Agent: I found this information...

The user sees the tool is working - builds trust.

Monitoring Tool Usage

In Activity tab:

• See which tools are being called
• How often each tool is used
• Success/failure rates
• Average execution time

In Chat SDK: Use useStatusSubscription to show tool status in your UI:

useStatusSubscription('tool_call', (data) => {
  console.log(`Calling tool: ${data.tool_name}`);
});

See Chat SDK - Status Events for details.

Best Practices

Tool Descriptions

Write clear descriptions - the agent reads these to decide when to use tools:

Bad: "Search function"
Good: "Search company documentation and knowledge base for answers to user questions"

Enable Only What's Needed

Don't enable every tool - only what makes sense for your agent:

Customer Support Agent:

• ✅ Search docs
• ✅ Create tickets
• ❌ Execute code
• ❌ Delete files

Developer Agent:

• ✅ Read/write files
• ✅ Execute code
• ✅ Search web
• ✅ Install packages

Test Tool Behavior

After enabling tools:

1. Test with real questions
2. Check if agent uses tools correctly
3. Adjust descriptions if needed
4. Monitor in Activity tab

Tool Security

Automatic Protection

All tools run in isolated environments:

• Can't access your system
• Limited to workspace only
• Automatic timeouts
• Resource limits enforced

Permissions

Control what tools can do:

• File access (read/write/delete)
• Network access (which domains)
• Code execution (which languages)
• Database access (read-only/read-write)

Configure in dashboard under tool settings.

Common Use Cases

Customer Support

Tools: Search docs, create tickets, check order status
Result: Agent answers questions AND takes actions

Developer Assistant

Tools: Read/write files, execute code, search web
Result: Agent writes code, runs tests, fixes bugs

Data Analysis

Tools: Query database, process data, create charts
Result: Agent analyzes data and generates insights

Content Creation

Tools: Search web, read files, write files
Result: Agent researches and creates content

Limitations

What Tools Can't Do

• Access your local machine directly
• Run indefinitely (automatic timeouts)
• Use unlimited resources (limits apply)
• Bypass permissions

Rate Limits

Tools have rate limits to prevent abuse:

• API calls: Limited per hour
• Code execution: Limited duration
• File operations: Size limits
• Database queries: Query complexity limits

Check Activity tab if you hit limits.

Next Steps

Configure your agent's tools:

1. Go to agent dashboard
2. Click Tools tab
3. Enable relevant tools
4. Test with conversations
5. Monitor in Activity tab

Learn more:

• Creating Agents - Set up your first agent
• Context & Knowledge - Give agents information
• Workspace - Configure isolated environments
• Activity - Monitor tool usage