(LSJ) Taxonomy of Agent Tools

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Taxonomy of Agent Tools

One way of categorizing agent tools is by their primary function, or the various types of interactions they facilitate. Here’s an overview of common types:

  • Information Retrieval: Allow agents to fetch data from various sources, such as web searches, databases, or unstructured documents.

  • Action / Execution: Allow agents to perform real-world operations: sending emails, posting messages, initiating code execution, or controlling physical devices.

  • System / API Integration: Allow agents to connect with existing software systems and APIs, integrate into enterprise workflows, or interact with third-party services.

  • Human-in-the-Loop: Facilitate collaboration with human users: ask for clarification, seek approval for critical actions, or hand off tasks for human judgment.

    🔧 Design Guide for Tool Categories

    1. Structured Data Retrieval

    • Use Case: Querying databases, spreadsheets, or structured sources (e.g., sales data in SQL, employee records in Excel).

    • Design Tips:

      • Define schemas clearly (e.g., customer_id, order_date, product_name).

      • Optimize queries for speed (indexes, joins).

      • Handle data types carefully (dates, decimals, text).

    • Workflow Example:
      A retail company wants to analyze monthly sales. A structured retrieval tool queries the SQL database for SUM(sales) grouped by month, then feeds results into a dashboard.

    2. Unstructured Data Retrieval

    • Use Case: Searching documents, web pages, or knowledge bases (e.g., customer support tickets, research papers).

    • Design Tips:

      • Use semantic search or embeddings for relevance.

      • Manage context window limits (chunking long documents).

      • Provide clear retrieval instructions (e.g., “return top 5 most relevant passages”).

    • Workflow Example:
      A chatbot answers customer questions by retrieving relevant sections from a product manual using RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation).

    3. Connecting to Built-in Templates

    • Use Case: Generating content from predefined templates (e.g., email drafts, reports, contracts).

    • Design Tips:

      • Ensure parameters are well-defined (e.g., recipient name, subject line).

      • Provide guidance on template selection (formal vs. casual tone).

    • Workflow Example:
      HR uses a template connector to auto-generate offer letters. The system fills in candidate name, role, and salary into a predefined document template.

    4. Google Connectors

    • Use Case: Interacting with Google Workspace apps (Gmail, Drive, Calendar).

    • Design Tips:

      • Leverage Google APIs with proper authentication.

      • Handle API rate limits gracefully.

      • Ensure authorization scopes are minimal and secure.

    • Workflow Example:
      A project management assistant automatically schedules meetings in Google Calendar and sends invites via Gmail when a new task is assigned.

    5. Third-Party Connectors

    • Use Case: Integrating with external services and applications (e.g., Slack, Salesforce, payment gateways).

    • Design Tips:

      • Document API specifications clearly.

      • Manage API keys securely (vaults, environment variables).

      • Implement error handling (retry logic, fallback).

    • Workflow Example:
      A sales dashboard pulls live CRM data from Salesforce, enriches it with external market data, and pushes alerts to Slack when a deal progresses.

    🔄 End-to-End Workflow Example

    Imagine building a customer support assistant:

    1. Structured Retrieval: Pull customer order history from SQL.

    2. Unstructured Retrieval: Search knowledge base for troubleshooting guides.

    3. Template Connector: Generate a response email using a predefined support template.

    4. Google Connector: Attach relevant documents from Google Drive.

    5. Third-Party Connector: Log the interaction in Salesforce for tracking.

    This layered approach ensures the assistant is data-driven, context-aware, and seamlessly integrated into existing workflows.

    👉 Workflow Diagram