The agent analyzes the user request to determine intent and required actions.

During this phase, the agent:

• Identifies the user’s core needs and intent
• Determines whether tools are required
• Extracts relevant information for potential tool use
• Plans a response strategy

If tools are needed, the agent selects the most appropriate tool(s) for the task.

Selection criteria include:

• Tool capabilities compared to task requirements
• Parameter availability from user input
• Tool reliability and performance characteristics
• Authorization and access rights

The agent formats the necessary parameters for tool execution.

This process involves:

• Extracting explicit parameters from user input
• Inferring implicit parameters based on context
• Formatting parameters according to tool requirements
• Validating parameters before submission

The selected tool runs with the prepared parameters.

During execution:

• The system handles authentication and authorization
• The request is sent to the appropriate endpoint
• Execution is monitored for timeouts or errors
• Results or errors are captured for further processing

The agent processes the tool outputs into a usable form.

This includes:

• Parsing structured data from tool responses
• Extracting relevant information for the user’s request
• Handling error cases appropriately
• Determining if additional tool calls are needed

Finally, the agent creates a response incorporating tool results.

The response typically:

• Presents tool outputs in a user-friendly format
• Provides context and interpretation of results
• Maintains conversation continuity
• Suggests next steps or additional actions

Determine what systems and data your agent needs to access.

Key questions to consider:

• What actions should the agent be able to perform?
• What data sources are required?
• What systems need to be integrated?
• What security and compliance requirements apply?
• What user workflows will the agent support?

Identify which tools can fulfill your requirements.

Options include:

• Built-in tools for common capabilities
• Marketplace apps for pre-built integrations
• Custom tool development for specialized needs

Prioritize reuse of existing integrations when possible.

Design how your agent will work with selected tools.

Consider:

• Tool selection criteria and logic
• Parameter extraction from user inputs
• Error handling and fallback strategies
• Tool result presentation and formatting
• Authentication and authorization requirements

Set up your tools using AI Knowledge or AI Builder.

For simpler needs:

• Use AI Knowledge’s graphical interface
• Configure pre-built tools
• Connect to existing automations

For advanced requirements:

• Create custom automations in AI Builder
• Develop specialized integration logic
• Implement complex workflows and error handling

Validate your agent’s tool usage capabilities.

Testing approaches:

• Function-level testing of individual tools
• Scenario-based testing of complete workflows
• Edge case testing for error conditions
• Performance testing for response times
• Security testing for access controls

Make your agent available to users and track its performance.

Key activities:

• Define access controls and permissions
• Set up monitoring and alerting
• Track usage patterns and success rates
• Collect user feedback for improvements
• Monitor for security and compliance