Tools: The Agent's Hands
While skills define capabilities and souls define personality, tools are how agents interact with the real world. They're the bridge between AI reasoning and external systems.
Anatomy of a Tool Gene
name: REST API Caller
type: tool
version: 1.0.0
description: Make HTTP requests to external APIs
parameters:
- name: url
type: string
required: true
- name: method
type: string
enum: [GET, POST, PUT, DELETE]
default: GET
- name: headers
type: object
required: false
- name: body
type: object
required: false
returns:
type: object
description: The API response
errors:
- code: NETWORK_ERROR
description: Failed to reach the endpoint
- code: AUTH_ERROR
description: Authentication failed
Best Practices
1. Clear Error Handling Define what can go wrong and how agents should respond.
2. Rate Limiting Include guidance on usage limits to prevent abuse.
3. Authentication Patterns Document how credentials should be provided.
4. Response Schemas Describe what the tool returns so agents can process it.
Combining Tools
Tools work best in combination. A "Database Query" tool paired with a "Data Transformer" tool lets agents not just fetch data but reshape it for different uses.