Configure Tools for Agent

Tool Overview

LangStudio provides five tool types for integrating external capabilities:

MCP Tool: Register MCP-compliant backend services on the platform. Agents invoke them on demand for secure interaction with external systems.
Custom Tool (OpenAPI Tool): Provide an OpenAPI 3.0+ specification file. The platform converts each API endpoint into a callable tool.
Python Tool: Write Python functions. The platform extracts signatures, type annotations, and docstrings to generate tool descriptions for Agent invocation.
Knowledge Base Tool: Connect enterprise knowledge bases to Agent nodes for on-demand retrieval during inference.
Web Search Tool: Retrieve real-time information from the web. Agents automatically query search engines for current news and facts.

Select a tool type based on your use case:

Tool Type	Use Case	Key Features
MCP Tool	Internal microservices, private APIs	Low-cost integration, built-in observability
Custom Tool	Third-party SaaS, RESTful services	Zero-code integration
Python Tool	Complex logic processing, local computation	Flexible programming, deep Python ecosystem integration
Knowledge Base Tool	Proprietary knowledge Q&A	Out-of-the-box, automatic Agent retrieval
Web Search Tool	Real-time information queries, latest news	Automatic web retrieval

Combination guidelines:

An Agent supports multiple tools. For example, combine MCP Tool (internal API calls) with Python Tool (data processing) for complex business logic.
If an API lacks MCP support but has an OpenAPI spec, start with Custom Tool for quick integration, then migrate to MCP Tool for better observability.

Configure MCP Tool

Create MCP Tool Connection

Go to LangStudio, navigate to Tools > MCP Tool, and click Create Tool.
Select the creation method:
- FunctionAI: Configure MCP services created via Explore > MCP Template.
  - Select a deployed MCP service. The system auto-populates connection parameters.
- Custom: Configure self-deployed or third-party-hosted MCP services.
  - transport: Transport protocol for MCP communication. Supports SSE and StreamableHTTP.
  - url: Full endpoint URL of the MCP service.
  - authentication: Authentication method for the MCP service. Three types are supported:
    - BearerAuth: Bearer token authentication. Enter a valid access token in the token field.
    - Other: Specify auth_header_name and token to define the header carrying the token.
    - None: No authentication required.
(Optional) Run a connectivity test to verify the MCP service is accessible.
Click Submit to create the tool.

Configure Agent Node

On the Agent node configuration page, locate MCP Tool. Two methods are available:

Select existing MCP tool connection: First create a reusable MCP tool connection. See Create MCP Tool Connection for details. An MCP service typically provides multiple tools; you can limit tool scope and require approval for sensitive tools.
- Use tool scope to control which tools the model can see.
- For sensitive operations (such as modifying user data), enable Approval tools. The node pauses at these tools and waits for manual approval before continuing.
Custom MCP configuration: Available only within this node.

Configure Other Tool Types

On the Agent node configuration page, go to Tools to add tools. For each tool, you can edit the description, "Needs Approval", and other parameters.

Knowledge Base: See Manage knowledge bases to create a knowledge base before adding it to the Agent.
Custom Tool (OpenAPI Tool):
- Select an existing custom tool or Create Custom Tool.
- Create tools from LangStudio services already deployed on PAI-EAS, or manually enter an OpenAPI specification.
- After creation, use the Test feature on the tool details page to send sample requests and verify responses.
Python Tool:
- Select an existing tool or Create Python Tool.
- For a new tool, set the toolset name, then edit and test code in the opened page.
- View or edit existing Python tools: Click More > Code-only Mode in the upper-right corner. Files are in the tools folder under the application source directory.
Web Search Tool: Uses Alibaba Cloud IQS-Standard Search. After adding the tool, see IQS-GenericSearch for configuration.