convex-agents-tools_skill

Overview

This skill equips agents to call external functions, APIs, and database operations through explicit tool definitions. It provides a clean separation between language generation and actionable operations so agents can fetch data, make updates, or orchestrate multi-step workflows securely and reliably.

How this skill works

Define Convex-aware tools with typed arguments and handlers that run queries, call APIs, or perform side effects. Register those tools with an agent and enable automatic tool calling so the agent can choose and invoke tools during generation, with calls and results automatically recorded in the conversation thread.

When to use it

• When an agent must read or modify database records as part of a task
• When integrating external APIs or third-party services into agent workflows
• For autonomous agents that decide which actions to take and execute them
• When you need human-in-the-loop workflows where agents request actions
• When chaining multiple operations into multi-step procedures

Best practices

• Use Zod schemas and .describe() to validate and document tool arguments for better LLM understanding
• Annotate handler return types explicitly to keep tool outputs predictable
• Create tools inside action handlers when you need binding to request-specific context (userId, permissions)
• Limit maxSteps for tool-calling to control resource use and prevent runaway behavior
• Keep tool descriptions concise and focused so the agent can reliably choose the correct tool

Example use cases

• Fetch user profile by email, then personalize a response or follow-up action
• Run a multi-step purchase flow: check inventory, place order, and notify user via external API
• Autonomously triage support tickets by querying ticket DB and invoking escalation tools
• Create workflows where agents gather data, call validation APIs, and update records atomically
• Enable agents to generate reports by querying multiple data sources and combining results