Proxy Tools

Custom tool definitions allow you to create specialized tools tailored to your specific business needs. You can combine multiple provider tools, add custom logic, and create reusable workflows that go beyond standard tool functionality.

What are custom tools?

Custom tools are user-defined functions that:

• Extend existing tools: Build on top of standard provider tools
• Combine multiple operations: Create workflows that use multiple tools
• Add business logic: Include custom validation, processing, and formatting
• Create reusable patterns: Standardize common operations across your team
• Integrate with external systems: Connect to your own APIs and services

Custom tool structure

Every custom tool follows a standardized structure:

{
  name: 'custom_tool_name',
  display_name: 'Custom Tool Display Name',
  description: 'Description of what the tool does',
  category: 'custom',
  provider: 'custom',
  input_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      // Define input parameters
    },
    required: ['required_param']
  },
  output_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      // Define output format
    }
  },
  implementation: async (parameters, context) => {
    // Custom tool logic
    return result;
  }
}

Creating custom tools

Basic custom tool

Here’s a simple custom tool that sends a welcome email:

const sendWelcomeEmail = {
  name: 'send_welcome_email',
  display_name: 'Send Welcome Email',
  description: 'Send a personalized welcome email to new users',
  category: 'communication',
  provider: 'custom',
  input_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      user_name: {
        type: 'string',
        description: 'Name of the new user'
      },
      user_email: {
        type: 'string',
        format: 'email',
        description: 'Email address of the new user'
      },
      company_name: {
        type: 'string',
        description: 'Name of the company'
      }
    },
    required: ['user_name', 'user_email', 'company_name']
  },
  output_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      message_id: {
        type: 'string',
        description: 'ID of the sent email'
      },
      status: {
        type: 'string',
        enum: ['sent', 'failed'],
        description: 'Status of the email'
      }
    }
  },
  implementation: async (parameters, context) => {
    const { user_name, user_email, company_name } = parameters;

    // Generate personalized email content
    const emailBody = `
      Welcome to ${company_name}, ${user_name}!

      We're excited to have you join our team. Here are some next steps:

      1. Complete your profile setup
      2. Join our Slack workspace
      3. Schedule a meeting with your manager

      If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out!

      Best regards,
      The ${company_name} Team
    `;

    // Send email using standard email tool
    const result = await context.tools.execute({
      tool: 'send_email',
      parameters: {
        to: [user_email],
        subject: `Welcome to ${company_name}!`,
        body: emailBody
      }
    });

    return {
      message_id: result.message_id,
      status: result.status === 'sent' ? 'sent' : 'failed'
    };
  }
};

Multi-step workflow tool

Create a tool that combines multiple operations:

const createProjectWorkflow = {
  name: 'create_project_workflow',
  display_name: 'Create Project Workflow',
  description: 'Create a complete project setup with Jira project, Slack channel, and team notifications',
  category: 'project_management',
  provider: 'custom',
  input_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      project_name: {
        type: 'string',
        description: 'Name of the project'
      },
      project_key: {
        type: 'string',
        description: 'Project key for Jira'
      },
      team_members: {
        type: 'array',
        items: { type: 'string', format: 'email' },
        description: 'Team member email addresses'
      },
      project_description: {
        type: 'string',
        description: 'Project description'
      }
    },
    required: ['project_name', 'project_key', 'team_members']
  },
  output_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      jira_project_id: { type: 'string' },
      slack_channel_id: { type: 'string' },
      notifications_sent: { type: 'number' }
    }
  },
  implementation: async (parameters, context) => {
    const { project_name, project_key, team_members, project_description } = parameters;

    try {
      // Step 1: Create Jira project
      const jiraProject = await context.tools.execute({
        tool: 'create_jira_project',
        parameters: {
          key: project_key,
          name: project_name,
          description: project_description,
          project_type: 'software'
        }
      });

      // Step 2: Create Slack channel
      const slackChannel = await context.tools.execute({
        tool: 'create_channel',
        parameters: {
          name: `${project_key.toLowerCase()}-team`,
          topic: `Discussion for ${project_name}`,
          is_private: false
        }
      });

      // Step 3: Send notifications to team members
      let notificationCount = 0;
      for (const member of team_members) {
        try {
          await context.tools.execute({
            tool: 'send_email',
            parameters: {
              to: [member],
              subject: `New Project: ${project_name}`,
              body: `
                You've been added to the new project "${project_name}".

                Jira Project: ${jiraProject.project_url}
                Slack Channel: #${slackChannel.channel_name}

                Please join the Slack channel to start collaborating!
              `
            }
          });
          notificationCount++;
        } catch (error) {
          console.error(`Failed to send notification to ${member}:`, error);
        }
      }

      // Step 4: Post welcome message to Slack channel
      await context.tools.execute({
        tool: 'send_message',
        parameters: {
          channel: `#${slackChannel.channel_name}`,
          text: `<� Welcome to ${project_name}! This channel is for project discussion and updates.`
        }
      });

      return {
        jira_project_id: jiraProject.project_id,
        slack_channel_id: slackChannel.channel_id,
        notifications_sent: notificationCount
      };

    } catch (error) {
      throw new Error(`Project creation failed: ${error.message}`);
    }
  }
};

Data processing tool

Create a tool that processes and analyzes data:

const generateTeamReport = {
  name: 'generate_team_report',
  display_name: 'Generate Team Report',
  description: 'Generate a comprehensive team performance report from multiple sources',
  category: 'analytics',
  provider: 'custom',
  input_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      team_members: {
        type: 'array',
        items: { type: 'string', format: 'email' },
        description: 'Team member email addresses'
      },
      start_date: {
        type: 'string',
        format: 'date',
        description: 'Report start date'
      },
      end_date: {
        type: 'string',
        format: 'date',
        description: 'Report end date'
      },
      include_calendar: {
        type: 'boolean',
        default: true,
        description: 'Include calendar analysis'
      }
    },
    required: ['team_members', 'start_date', 'end_date']
  },
  output_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      report_url: { type: 'string' },
      summary: { type: 'object' },
      sent_to: { type: 'array', items: { type: 'string' } }
    }
  },
  implementation: async (parameters, context) => {
    const { team_members, start_date, end_date, include_calendar } = parameters;

    // Fetch Jira issues assigned to team members
    const jiraIssues = await context.tools.execute({
      tool: 'fetch_issues',
      parameters: {
        jql: `assignee in (${team_members.join(',')}) AND created >= ${start_date} AND created <= ${end_date}`,
        fields: ['summary', 'status', 'assignee', 'created', 'resolved']
      }
    });

    // Fetch calendar events if requested
    let calendarData = null;
    if (include_calendar) {
      calendarData = await context.tools.execute({
        tool: 'fetch_events',
        parameters: {
          start_date: start_date,
          end_date: end_date,
          attendees: team_members
        }
      });
    }

    // Process and analyze data
    const report = {
      period: { start_date, end_date },
      team_size: team_members.length,
      issues: {
        total: jiraIssues.issues.length,
        completed: jiraIssues.issues.filter(i => i.status === 'Done').length,
        in_progress: jiraIssues.issues.filter(i => i.status === 'In Progress').length
      },
      meetings: calendarData ? {
        total: calendarData.events.length,
        hours: calendarData.events.reduce((acc, event) => acc + event.duration, 0)
      } : null
    };

    // Generate HTML report
    const htmlReport = `
      <html>
        <head><title>Team Report - ${start_date} to ${end_date}</title></head>
        <body>
          <h1>Team Performance Report</h1>
          <h2>Summary</h2>
          <p>Team Size: ${report.team_size}</p>
          <p>Total Issues: ${report.issues.total}</p>
          <p>Completed Issues: ${report.issues.completed}</p>
          <p>In Progress: ${report.issues.in_progress}</p>
          ${report.meetings ? `<p>Total Meetings: ${report.meetings.total}</p>` : ''}
        </body>
      </html>
    `;

    // Send report via email
    const emailResults = await Promise.all(
      team_members.map(member =>
        context.tools.execute({
          tool: 'send_email',
          parameters: {
            to: [member],
            subject: `Team Report - ${start_date} to ${end_date}`,
            html_body: htmlReport
          }
        })
      )
    );

    return {
      report_url: 'Generated and sent via email',
      summary: report,
      sent_to: team_members.filter((_, index) => emailResults[index].status === 'sent')
    };
  }
};

Registering custom tools

Using the API

Register your custom tools with Agent Actions:

JavaScript

// Register a custom tool
const registeredTool = await agentConnect.tools.register({
  ...sendWelcomeEmail,
  organization_id: 'your_org_id'
});

console.log('Tool registered:', registeredTool.id);

Python

# Register a custom tool
registered_tool = agent_connect.tools.register(
    **send_welcome_email,
    organization_id='your_org_id'
)

print(f'Tool registered: {registered_tool.id}')

cURL

curl -X POST "${SCALEKIT_BASE_URL}/v1/connect/tools/custom" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${SCALEKIT_CLIENT_SECRET}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "send_welcome_email",
    "display_name": "Send Welcome Email",
    "description": "Send a personalized welcome email to new users",
    "category": "communication",
    "provider": "custom",
    "input_schema": {...},
    "output_schema": {...},
    "implementation": "async (parameters, context) => {...}"
  }'

Using the dashboard

1. Navigate to Tools in your Agent Actions dashboard
2. Click Create Custom Tool
3. Fill in the tool definition form
4. Test the tool with sample parameters
5. Save and activate the tool

Tool context and utilities

The context object provides access to:

Standard tools

Execute any standard Agent Actions tool:

// Execute standard tools
const result = await context.tools.execute({
  tool: 'send_email',
  parameters: { ... }
});

// Execute with specific connected account
const result = await context.tools.execute({
  connected_account_id: 'specific_account',
  tool: 'send_email',
  parameters: { ... }
});

Connected accounts

Access connected account information:

// Get connected account details
const account = await context.accounts.get(accountId);

// List accounts for a user
const accounts = await context.accounts.list({
  identifier: 'user_123',
  provider: 'gmail'
});

Utilities

Access utility functions:

// Generate unique IDs
const id = context.utils.generateId();

// Format dates
const formatted = context.utils.formatDate(date, 'YYYY-MM-DD');

// Validate email
const isValid = context.utils.isValidEmail(email);

// HTTP requests
const response = await context.utils.httpRequest({
  url: 'https://api.example.com/data',
  method: 'GET',
  headers: { 'Authorization': 'Bearer token' }
});

Error handling

Throw structured errors:

// Throw validation error
throw new context.errors.ValidationError('Invalid email format');

// Throw business logic error
throw new context.errors.BusinessLogicError('User not found');

// Throw external API error
throw new context.errors.ExternalAPIError('GitHub API returned 500');

Testing custom tools

Unit testing

Test custom tools in isolation:

// Mock context for testing
const mockContext = {
  tools: {
    execute: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({
      message_id: 'test_msg_123',
      status: 'sent'
    })
  },
  utils: {
    generateId: () => 'test_id_123',
    formatDate: (date, format) => '2024-01-15'
  }
};

// Test custom tool
const result = await sendWelcomeEmail.implementation({
  user_name: 'John Doe',
  user_email: 'john@example.com',
  company_name: 'Acme Corp'
}, mockContext);

expect(result.status).toBe('sent');
expect(mockContext.tools.execute).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
  tool: 'send_email',
  parameters: expect.objectContaining({
    to: ['john@example.com'],
    subject: 'Welcome to Acme Corp!'
  })
});

Integration testing

Test with real Agent Actions:

// Test custom tool with real connections
const testResult = await agentConnect.tools.execute({
  connected_account_id: 'test_gmail_account',
  tool: 'send_welcome_email',
  parameters: {
    user_name: 'Test User',
    user_email: 'test@example.com',
    company_name: 'Test Company'
  }
});

console.log('Test result:', testResult);

Best practices

Tool design

• Single responsibility: Each tool should have a clear, single purpose
• Consistent naming: Use descriptive, consistent naming conventions
• Clear documentation: Provide detailed descriptions and examples
• Error handling: Implement comprehensive error handling
• Input validation: Validate all input parameters

Performance optimization

• Parallel execution: Use Promise.all() for independent operations
• Caching: Cache frequently accessed data
• Batch operations: Group similar operations together
• Timeout handling: Set appropriate timeouts for external calls

Security considerations

• Input sanitization: Sanitize all user inputs
• Permission checks: Verify user permissions before execution
• Sensitive data: Handle sensitive data securely
• Rate limiting: Implement rate limiting for resource-intensive operations

Custom tool examples

Slack notification tool

const sendSlackNotification = {
  name: 'send_slack_notification',
  display_name: 'Send Slack Notification',
  description: 'Send formatted notifications to Slack with optional mentions',
  category: 'communication',
  provider: 'custom',
  input_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      channel: { type: 'string' },
      message: { type: 'string' },
      severity: { type: 'string', enum: ['info', 'warning', 'error'] },
      mentions: { type: 'array', items: { type: 'string' } }
    },
    required: ['channel', 'message']
  },
  output_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      message_ts: { type: 'string' },
      permalink: { type: 'string' }
    }
  },
  implementation: async (parameters, context) => {
    const { channel, message, severity = 'info', mentions = [] } = parameters;

    const colors = {
      info: 'good',
      warning: 'warning',
      error: 'danger'
    };

    const mentionText = mentions.length > 0 ?
      `${mentions.map(m => `<@${m}>`).join(' ')} ` : '';

    return await context.tools.execute({
      tool: 'send_message',
      parameters: {
        channel,
        text: `${mentionText}${message}`,
        attachments: [
          {
            color: colors[severity],
            text: message,
            ts: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000)
          }
        ]
      }
    });
  }
};

Calendar scheduling tool

const scheduleTeamMeeting = {
  name: 'schedule_team_meeting',
  display_name: 'Schedule Team Meeting',
  description: 'Find available time slots and schedule team meetings',
  category: 'scheduling',
  provider: 'custom',
  input_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      attendees: { type: 'array', items: { type: 'string' } },
      duration: { type: 'number', minimum: 15 },
      preferred_times: { type: 'array', items: { type: 'string' } },
      meeting_title: { type: 'string' },
      meeting_description: { type: 'string' }
    },
    required: ['attendees', 'duration', 'meeting_title']
  },
  output_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      event_id: { type: 'string' },
      scheduled_time: { type: 'string' },
      attendees_notified: { type: 'number' }
    }
  },
  implementation: async (parameters, context) => {
    const { attendees, duration, preferred_times, meeting_title, meeting_description } = parameters;

    // Find available time slots
    const availableSlots = await context.tools.execute({
      tool: 'find_available_slots',
      parameters: {
        attendees,
        duration,
        preferred_times: preferred_times || []
      }
    });

    if (availableSlots.length === 0) {
      throw new context.errors.BusinessLogicError('No available time slots found');
    }

    // Schedule the meeting at the first available slot
    const selectedSlot = availableSlots[0];
    const event = await context.tools.execute({
      tool: 'create_event',
      parameters: {
        title: meeting_title,
        description: meeting_description,
        start_time: selectedSlot.start_time,
        end_time: selectedSlot.end_time,
        attendees
      }
    });

    return {
      event_id: event.event_id,
      scheduled_time: selectedSlot.start_time,
      attendees_notified: attendees.length
    };
  }
};

Versioning and deployment

Version management

Version your custom tools for backward compatibility:

const toolV2 = {
  ...originalTool,
  version: '2.0.0',
  // Updated implementation
};

// Deploy new version
await agentConnect.tools.register(toolV2);

// Deprecate old version
await agentConnect.tools.deprecate(originalTool.name, '1.0.0');

Deployment strategies

• Blue-green deployment: Deploy new version alongside old version
• Canary deployment: Gradually roll out to subset of users
• Feature flags: Use feature flags to control tool availability
• Rollback strategy: Plan for quick rollback if issues arise

Note

Ready to build? Start with simple custom tools and gradually add complexity. Test thoroughly before deploying to production, and consider the impact on your users when making changes.

Custom tools unlock the full potential of Agent Actions by allowing you to create specialized workflows that perfectly match your business needs. With proper design, testing, and deployment practices, you can build powerful tools that enhance your team’s productivity and streamline complex operations.