Tool Node - Hamsa API

Overview

Tool nodes execute pre-configured tool templates from your tool library. Unlike web tool nodes which define HTTP requests inline, tool nodes reference existing tools that can be reused across multiple agents and flows. This promotes consistency, maintainability, and reduces configuration time. Key characteristic: Tool nodes execute actions (API calls, database queries, external integrations) and then transition to the next node based on results.

When to Use

Use tool nodes to:

Look up customer data from CRM systems
Check inventory, availability, or status
Submit forms or create records
Process payments or transactions
Send notifications (email, SMS, webhooks)
Retrieve data from databases
Execute business logic on external systems
Call any HTTP API with reusable configuration

Use Tool Node when:

The tool will be used in multiple places
The tool needs comprehensive documentation
The tool requires consistent configuration
You want centralized tool management

Use Web Tool Node instead when:

Making a one-off API call specific to this flow
Prototyping before creating a template
The API call is unlikely to be reused

→ Compare: Web Tool Node

Core Configuration

Basic Setup

{
  type: "tool",
  label?: string,
  description?: string,

  // Tool configuration is stored in agentSettings.tools where tool.nodeId === node.id
  // No tool reference fields (toolId, toolName, toolType) on the node itself

  // Node-specific parameters (can override tool template parameters)
  parameters: ToolParameter[],  // default: []

  // Execution
  timeout: number,  // milliseconds, default 30000

  // Error handling
  onErrorBehavior: "continue" | "retry" | "fail",  // default: "continue"
  errorMessage?: string,

  // Response handling
  overrideResponse: boolean,  // default: false
  customResponse?: string,
  outputMapping: Record<string, string>,  // default: {}

  // Variable extraction
  extractVariables: ExtractVariablesConfig,

  // Processing message
  processingMessage?: string,
  processingMessageType: "static" | "prompt",  // default: "static"

  // Transitions
  transitions: Transition[]
}

Tool Reference Architecture: The tool itself (toolId, toolType, overrides, version) is stored in agentSettings.tools array with tool.nodeId matching this node’s ID. The node only contains execution settings and parameter overrides.

Selecting a Tool

Add a Tool Node to your flow
Click Select Tool in the node configuration
Choose from your tool library
Tool details auto-populate (name, description, parameters)

What happens behind the scenes:

Selecting a tool creates an entry in agentSettings.tools array
This entry has nodeId set to this node’s ID to link them
Tool configuration (toolId, toolType, persistentId, version, overrides) is stored in that entry
The node itself only contains execution settings (timeout, error handling, output mapping, parameters)

Available tool types:

FUNCTION: Server-side HTTP API requests (full override support)
MCP: Model Context Protocol tools (no overrides allowed)
WEB_TOOL: Browser-based tools for SDK deployments (limited overrides)

[→ Learn more about tool types and architecture/features/tools)

Parameter Mapping

Map flow variables and static values to tool input parameters.

Static Values

Hardcoded values that never change.

Tool Node: Send_Welcome_Email
  tool: SendGrid_Email

  Parameters:
    template_id: "welcome-v2"
    from_email: "[email protected]"
    from_name: "Acme Support Team"

Variable References

Use data collected earlier in the flow using {{variable_name}} syntax.

Tool Node: Send_Confirmation_Email
  tool: SendGrid_Email

  Parameters:
    to_email: {{customer_email}}
    to_name: {{customer_name}}
    template_id: "order-confirmation"
    order_id: {{order_id}}

System Variables

Reference built-in system variables.

Tool Node: Log_Call_Event
  tool: Analytics_Logger

  Parameters:
    caller_id: {{caller_id}}
    call_id: {{call_id}}
    timestamp: {{current_time}}
    agent_id: {{agent_id}}
    session_id: {{session_id}}

→ See all system variables: Variables Guide

Mixed Static and Variables

Combine both for flexible configurations.

Tool Node: CRM_Customer_Lookup
  tool: Salesforce_Query

  Parameters:
    phone: {{caller_phone}}           # Variable
    include_orders: true              # Static
    fields: "name,email,account_id"   # Static
    limit: 1                          # Static

Parameter Types

Tool parameters can have different data types:

{
  name: string,
  value: string,  // Can contain {{variables}}
  type: "string" | "number" | "boolean" | "object",
  required: boolean
}

Example with mixed types:

Parameters:
  customer_name: { { name } } # string
  order_total: { { cart_total } } # number
  send_confirmation: true # boolean
  shipping_address: { { address_json } } # object

Output Mapping

Extract data from tool responses into flow variables using JSON path syntax.

JSON Path Syntax

Use $.path.to.field notation to reference fields in the response. Tool response:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "customer": {
      "id": "CUST-12345",
      "name": "John Smith",
      "email": "[email protected]"
    },
    "account": {
      "status": "active",
      "balance": 1250.5,
      "tier": "premium"
    }
  }
}

Output mapping:

Output Mapping:
  customer_id: $.data.customer.id # "CUST-12345"
  customer_name: $.data.customer.name # "John Smith"
  customer_email: $.data.customer.email # "[email protected]"
  account_status: $.data.account.status # "active"
  account_balance: $.data.account.balance # 1250.50
  membership_tier: $.data.account.tier # "premium"

Using Extracted Variables

Variables extracted via output mapping become available immediately in subsequent nodes.

Tool Node: Lookup_Account
  tool: CRM_Lookup
  outputMapping:
    customer_name: $.name
    account_balance: $.balance

Conversation Node: Discuss_Account
  message: "Hello {{customer_name}}, I see your current balance is ${{account_balance}}."

Array Access

Access array elements by index. Response:

{
  "orders": [
    { "id": "ORD-001", "total": 99.99 },
    { "id": "ORD-002", "total": 149.99 }
  ]
}

Mapping:

Output Mapping:
  latest_order_id: $.orders[0].id # "ORD-001"
  latest_order_total: $.orders[0].total # 99.99

Nested Objects

Navigate deeply nested structures.

Output Mapping:
  street: $.data.customer.address.street
  city: $.data.customer.address.city
  zip: $.data.customer.address.postal_code

Error Handling

Configure how the flow responds when tool execution fails.

Continue (Recommended for Non-Critical Tools)

Flow continues even if tool fails. Best for optional operations.

Tool Node: Update_CRM_Notes
  tool: CRM_Update_Notes

  Error Handling:
    onErrorBehavior: continue
    errorMessage: "I wasn't able to update your notes, but let's continue."

  Transitions:
    - Always → Next_Step

Use when:

Tool is non-critical (analytics, logging)
Flow can proceed without tool result
Degraded experience is acceptable

Retry (For Intermittent Failures)

Automatically retries failed tool calls.

Tool Node: Check_Inventory
  tool: Inventory_API

  Error Handling:
    onErrorBehavior: retry
    retryAttempts: 2
    retryDelay: 1000  # 1 second between retries
    errorMessage: "I'm having trouble checking inventory. Let me try again..."

  Transitions:
    - Equation: {{inventory_available}} > 0 → In_Stock_Flow
    - Always → Out_Of_Stock_Flow

Use when:

API has intermittent failures
Network issues are common
Tool is important but can fail temporarily

Fail (For Critical Operations)

Stops flow execution and ends call when tool fails.

Tool Node: Process_Payment
  tool: Stripe_Charge

  Error Handling:
    onErrorBehavior: fail
    errorMessage: "I'm unable to process your payment at this time. Please try again later or contact support."

  Transitions:
    - Equation: {{payment_status}} == "success" → Payment_Success

Use when:

Tool is critical to conversation
Cannot proceed without successful result
Failure requires human intervention

Error Messages

Provide clear, user-friendly error messages.

# ❌ Bad: Technical jargon
errorMessage: "HTTP 500 Internal Server Error"

# ✅ Good: User-friendly
errorMessage: "I'm experiencing technical difficulties. Let me transfer you to a specialist who can help."

Response Handling

Default Behavior (Silent)

By default, tool nodes execute silently—no message is spoken about the tool execution.

Tool Node: Lookup_Customer
  tool: CRM_Lookup
  overrideResponse: false  # Default

  # Tool executes, extracts variables, transitions to next node
  # Agent says nothing about the tool call

Custom Response Override

Speak a custom message after tool execution using extracted variables.

Tool Node: Lookup_Customer
  tool: CRM_Lookup

  Output Mapping:
    customer_name: $.name
    account_tier: $.tier

  Response Override:
    overrideResponse: true
    customResponse: "Thank you, {{customer_name}}. I see you're a {{account_tier}} member."

Variable interpolation:

Use {{variable_name}} syntax
Variables from output mapping are available
Variables from earlier nodes are available
System variables are available

Processing Message

Show message while tool executes (especially for slow APIs).

Tool Node: Search_Knowledge_Base
  tool: KB_Search

  Processing Message:
    message: "Let me search our knowledge base for that information..."
    messageType: static

  timeout: 15000  # 15 seconds

Static vs Prompt: Static: Exact message every time.

processingMessage: 'Please hold while I check that for you...'
processingMessageType: static

Prompt: AI generates contextual message.

processingMessage: "Tell the user you're looking up their request and to please hold."
processingMessageType: prompt

Variable Extraction

In addition to output mapping (which extracts from tool responses), tool nodes support conversation-based variable extraction.

When to Use

Use variable extraction when:

Tool requires user confirmation before executing
You want to ask questions before calling the tool
Tool needs additional context from conversation

Configuration

Tool Node: Book_Appointment
  tool: Calendar_API

  Extract Variables:
    enabled: true
    variables:
      - name: preferred_date
        description: "Preferred appointment date"
        extractionPrompt: "Extract date in YYYY-MM-DD format"
        dataType: string
        isRequired: true

      - name: preferred_time
        description: "Preferred time"
        extractionPrompt: "Extract time in HH:MM format"
        dataType: string
        isRequired: true

  Parameters:
    customer_id: {{customer_id}}
    date: {{preferred_date}}
    time: {{preferred_time}}

Note: Variable extraction happens during conversation before tool execution. Most tool nodes use output mapping instead.

Timeout Configuration

Set maximum wait time for tool execution.

Tool Node: External_API_Call
  tool: Slow_API
  timeout: 20000  # 20 seconds

Recommendations:

Fast APIs (< 2s): 5000ms
Standard APIs: 10000ms
Slow operations: 20000-30000ms
Maximum allowed: 30000ms (30 seconds)

When timeout occurs:

Follows onErrorBehavior setting
Displays errorMessage if configured
Can continue, retry, or fail based on configuration

Long timeouts create poor user experience. Consider async tools or processing messages for slow operations.

Use Cases & Examples

Example 1: Customer Lookup

Scenario: Look up customer by phone number.

Tool Node: Lookup_Customer
  tool: CRM_Customer_Lookup

  Parameters:
    phone_number: {{caller_id}}
    include_history: true

  Output Mapping:
    customer_id: $.data.id
    customer_name: $.data.name
    customer_email: $.data.email
    account_status: $.data.status
    membership_tier: $.data.tier
    last_order_date: $.data.last_order

  Response Override:
    overrideResponse: true
    customResponse: "Welcome back, {{customer_name}}! I have your account details."

  Error Handling:
    onErrorBehavior: continue
    errorMessage: "I'm having trouble accessing our customer database. Let's verify your information manually."

  Transitions:
    - Equation: {{account_status}} == "active" → Active_Account_Flow
    - Equation: {{account_status}} == "suspended" → Suspended_Flow
    - Always → New_Customer_Flow

Example 2: Check Inventory

Scenario: Verify product availability before taking order.

Conversation Node: Collect_Product_Info
  message: "What product are you interested in?"

  Extract Variables:
    - product_sku: "Extract product SKU or name"

  Transitions:
    - Always → Check_Stock

Tool Node: Check_Stock
  tool: Inventory_Check_API

  Parameters:
    sku: {{product_sku}}
    warehouse: "primary"

  Output Mapping:
    stock_level: $.inventory.available
    next_restock_date: $.inventory.next_shipment

  Processing Message:
    message: "Let me check if we have that in stock..."
    messageType: static

  Error Handling:
    onErrorBehavior: retry
    retryAttempts: 2

  Transitions:
    - Equation: {{stock_level}} > 0 → In_Stock_Flow
    - Equation: {{stock_level}} == 0 → Out_Of_Stock_Flow

Example 3: Process Payment

Scenario: Charge customer credit card.

Tool Node: Process_Payment
  tool: Stripe_Create_Charge

  Parameters:
    amount: {{order_total}}
    currency: "usd"
    customer_id: {{stripe_customer_id}}
    description: "Order #{{order_id}}"
    receipt_email: {{customer_email}}

  Output Mapping:
    charge_id: $.id
    payment_status: $.status
    receipt_url: $.receipt_url

  Processing Message:
    message: "Processing your payment. Please do not hang up..."
    messageType: static

  Error Handling:
    onErrorBehavior: fail
    errorMessage: "Your payment could not be processed. Please contact your bank or try a different payment method."

  Response Override:
    overrideResponse: true
    customResponse: "Your payment has been processed successfully. A receipt has been sent to {{customer_email}}."

  timeout: 15000  # 15 seconds

  Transitions:
    - Equation: {{payment_status}} == "succeeded" → Payment_Success
    - Always → Payment_Failed

Example 4: Send Notification

Scenario: Send confirmation email after booking.

Tool Node: Send_Confirmation_Email
  tool: SendGrid_Email

  Parameters:
    to: {{customer_email}}
    template_id: "appointment-confirmation"
    dynamic_data: {
      customer_name: {{customer_name}},
      appointment_date: {{appointment_date}},
      appointment_time: {{appointment_time}},
      location: {{appointment_location}}
    }

  Processing Message:
    message: "I'm sending you a confirmation email now..."

  Error Handling:
    onErrorBehavior: continue
    errorMessage: "I wasn't able to send the confirmation email, but your appointment is booked."

  Transitions:
    - Always → Appointment_Confirmed

Example 5: Multi-Step Database Query

Scenario: Look up customer, then fetch their orders.

Tool Node: Lookup_Customer
  tool: Database_Query_Customer
  parameters:
    phone: {{caller_phone}}
  outputMapping:
    customer_id: $.id
  transitions:
    - Always → Fetch_Orders

Tool Node: Fetch_Orders
  tool: Database_Query_Orders
  parameters:
    customer_id: {{customer_id}}
    limit: 5
  outputMapping:
    order_count: $.total
    latest_order_id: $.orders[0].id
    latest_order_status: $.orders[0].status
  transitions:
    - Equation: {{order_count}} > 0 → Has_Orders_Flow
    - Always → No_Orders_Flow

Example 6: Conditional Tool Execution

Scenario: Only call pricing API for premium members.

Router Node: Check_Membership
  transitions:
    - Equation: {{membership_tier}} == "premium" → Get_Premium_Pricing
    - Always → Get_Standard_Pricing

Tool Node: Get_Premium_Pricing
  tool: Pricing_API
  parameters:
    tier: "premium"
    customer_id: {{customer_id}}
  outputMapping:
    discount_percentage: $.discount
  transitions:
    - Always → Display_Pricing

Tool Node: Get_Standard_Pricing
  tool: Pricing_API
  parameters:
    tier: "standard"
  outputMapping:
    discount_percentage: $.discount
  transitions:
    - Always → Display_Pricing

Web Tool Overrides

Override tool configuration for specific contexts (e.g., web vs phone).

Configuration

Tool Node: Contact_Form_Submit
  tool: API_Submit_Form

  Web Tools Overrides:
    id: "tool-instance-uuid"
    httpHeaders:
      X-Client-Type: "web-sdk"
      X-Browser-Info: "{{userAgent}}"
    params:
      source:
        overrideValue: "web-chat"

Use cases:

Different headers for web vs phone contexts
Override API endpoints for testing
Customize tool behavior per deployment

[→ Learn more: Web Tools Guide/features/tools#web-tools)

Transitions

Tool nodes support all transition types:

Natural Language

Evaluate conversation context.

Transitions:
  - Natural Language: "User is satisfied with the result" → Continue_Flow
  - Natural Language: "User wants to modify something" → Modify_Flow

Note: Tool nodes don’t have conversations by default. Natural language transitions evaluate context from previous nodes.

Structured Equation

Route based on extracted variables.

Transitions:
  - Equation: {{order_status}} == "completed" → Order_Complete
  - Equation: {{order_status}} == "pending" → Order_Pending
  - Equation: {{order_status}} == "failed" → Order_Failed

Always

Fallback transition.

Transitions:
  - Equation: {{success}} == true → Success_Path
  - Always → Error_Path

→ Learn More: Transitions

Best Practices

✅ Do’s

Use tool templates for reusable operations

Create templates for APIs used across multiple flows
Maintain consistency across agents
Update once, affects all usages

Map outputs to descriptive variable names

# ✅ Good
outputMapping:
  customer_full_name: $.name
  account_balance_usd: $.balance

# ❌ Bad
outputMapping:
  name: $.name
  bal: $.balance

Provide user-friendly error messages

# ✅ Good
errorMessage: "I'm having trouble checking your account. Let me transfer you to someone who can help."

# ❌ Bad
errorMessage: "API error 500"

Set realistic timeouts

Don’t make users wait unnecessarily
Balance user experience with API requirements
Use processing messages for slow operations

Test with actual API responses

Verify output mapping JSON paths
Test error scenarios
Validate variable extraction

Use continue for non-critical tools

Analytics and logging shouldn’t block flows
Provide graceful degradation

❌ Don’ts

Don’t hardcode sensitive data in parameters

# ❌ Bad
parameters:
  api_key: "sk_live_1234567890"

# ✅ Good
parameters:
  api_key: {{env.STRIPE_API_KEY}}

Don’t skip error handling

Always configure onErrorBehavior
Provide error messages
Consider retry logic

Don’t use tool nodes for one-off calls

Use web tool nodes for single-use APIs
Reserve tool nodes for reusable templates

Don’t make tools blocking unnecessarily

Use continue when possible
Consider async tools for long operations
Provide processing messages

Don’t forget to map critical outputs

Extract all data you’ll need downstream
Use descriptive variable names
Document what each variable contains

Troubleshooting

Issue: Tool not appearing in selection

Solution:

Verify tool exists in tool library
Check tool is active
Refresh the page
Verify tool is in current project

Issue: Parameters not being sent correctly

Solution:

Check variable names match exactly (case-sensitive)
Verify variables exist (were extracted earlier)
Review parameter type (string vs number vs boolean)
Test with static values first

Issue: Output mapping not extracting variables

Solution:

Verify JSON path syntax: $.path.to.field
Check actual API response format
Test JSON path with tool response
Ensure response contains expected fields

Issue: Tool timeout

Solution:

Increase timeout value
Check API performance
Add retry logic
Consider async tools
Add processing message

Issue: Variables not available in next node

Solution:

Verify output mapping is configured
Check variable names match exactly
Ensure tool completed successfully
Review flow transitions

Schema Reference

{
  type: "tool",
  label?: string,
  description?: string,

  // Tool configuration stored in agentSettings.tools (not on node)
  // Tool is linked via tool.nodeId === node.id

  // Node-specific parameters
  parameters: Array<{
    name: string,
    value: string,  // Supports {{variable}} syntax
    type: "string" | "number" | "boolean" | "object",
    required: boolean,
    // Enhanced fields for custom parameters
    description?: string,
    dataType?: "string" | "number" | "boolean" | "array" | "object",
    defaultValue?: string
  }>,

  // Execution settings
  timeout: number,  // Default: 30000ms

  // Variable extraction (optional)
  extractVariables: {
    enabled: boolean,
    variables: Array<Variable>
  },

  // Response handling
  overrideResponse: boolean,  // Default: false
  customResponse?: string,
  outputMapping: Record<string, string>,  // JSON path → variable name, default: {}

  // Error handling
  onErrorBehavior: "continue" | "retry" | "fail",  // Default: "continue"
  errorMessage?: string,

  // Processing message
  processingMessage?: string,
  processingMessageType: "static" | "prompt",

  // Transitions
  transitions: Transition[],

  // Position
  position: { x: number, y: number }
}

Next Steps

Web Tool Node

Make one-off API calls without templates

Create Tools

Build reusable tool templates

Router Node

Route based on tool results

Variables

Master variable usage and mapping

Transitions

Control flow after tool execution

Dashboard

Agents

Variables

Tools

Knowledge Base

Batch Calls

Call History

Phone Numbers

LLM Configuration

Configuration

​Overview

​When to Use

​Core Configuration

​Basic Setup

​Selecting a Tool

​Parameter Mapping

​Static Values

​Variable References

​System Variables

​Mixed Static and Variables

​Parameter Types

​Output Mapping

​JSON Path Syntax

​Using Extracted Variables

​Array Access

​Nested Objects

​Error Handling

​Continue (Recommended for Non-Critical Tools)

​Retry (For Intermittent Failures)

​Fail (For Critical Operations)

​Error Messages

​Response Handling

​Default Behavior (Silent)

​Custom Response Override

​Processing Message

​Variable Extraction

​When to Use

​Configuration

​Timeout Configuration

​Use Cases & Examples

​Example 1: Customer Lookup

​Example 2: Check Inventory

​Example 3: Process Payment

​Example 4: Send Notification

​Example 5: Multi-Step Database Query

​Example 6: Conditional Tool Execution

​Web Tool Overrides

​Configuration

​Transitions

​Natural Language

​Structured Equation

​Always

​Best Practices

​✅ Do’s

​❌ Don’ts

​Troubleshooting

​Issue: Tool not appearing in selection

​Issue: Parameters not being sent correctly

​Issue: Output mapping not extracting variables

​Issue: Tool timeout

​Issue: Variables not available in next node

​Schema Reference

​Next Steps

Web Tool Node

Create Tools

Router Node

Variables

Transitions

Overview

When to Use

Core Configuration

Basic Setup

Selecting a Tool

Parameter Mapping

Static Values

Variable References

System Variables

Mixed Static and Variables

Parameter Types

Output Mapping

JSON Path Syntax

Using Extracted Variables

Array Access

Nested Objects

Error Handling

Continue (Recommended for Non-Critical Tools)

Retry (For Intermittent Failures)

Fail (For Critical Operations)

Error Messages

Response Handling

Default Behavior (Silent)

Custom Response Override

Processing Message

Variable Extraction

When to Use

Configuration

Timeout Configuration

Use Cases & Examples

Example 1: Customer Lookup

Example 2: Check Inventory

Example 3: Process Payment

Example 4: Send Notification

Example 5: Multi-Step Database Query

Example 6: Conditional Tool Execution

Web Tool Overrides

Configuration

Transitions

Natural Language

Structured Equation

Always

Best Practices

✅ Do’s

❌ Don’ts

Troubleshooting

Issue: Tool not appearing in selection

Issue: Parameters not being sent correctly

Issue: Output mapping not extracting variables

Issue: Tool timeout

Issue: Variables not available in next node

Schema Reference

Next Steps