Using Tools in Flows

WARNING

There is no dedicated "Tool Call" node in OmniBots. Tools are invoked through the LLM Response node's agentic tool-calling feature or through the API Call node for direct HTTP requests.

How Tool Calling Works

OmniBots supports two approaches to calling external APIs during a conversation:

1. Agentic Tool Calling (via LLM Response Node)

The LLM Response node supports agentic mode where you assign pre-configured tools to the LLM. The AI model decides on its own when to call tools during response generation.

1. Open an LLM Response node in the Config Panel.
2. Enable Tool Calling in the configuration.
3. Select the tools you want the LLM to have access to from your registered tools.
4. The LLM will autonomously decide when to call each tool based on the conversation context.

This is the recommended approach when you want the AI to decide if and when tools are needed.

imageLLM Response node config panel agentic mode section showing Tool Calling toggle enabled and a checklist of available tools with names and descriptions that the LLM can invoke during response generation

Tool selection in LLM Response node agentic mode

2. Direct API Calls (via API Call Node)

The API Call node makes a deterministic HTTP request at a specific point in the flow. Use this when you always want to call an API at a particular step, regardless of conversation context.

Managing Tools

Tools are pre-configured API integrations that abstract away HTTP details (URL, authentication, request format) and expose a simple interface of named parameters.

• Navigate to Tools in the left sidebar to create, edit, and manage tools.
• Use Tool Templates for common integrations (available from the Templates tab).
• Test tools before using them in production flows.

For detailed information on creating and managing tools, see the Tools documentation.

Choosing Between Approaches

Approach	Best For	Node
Agentic tool calling	Dynamic tool use where the AI decides when to call APIs based on conversation context	LLM Response
Direct API call	Deterministic API calls at a specific step in the flow	API Call

TIP

Use agentic tool calling when you want flexible, AI-driven tool use. Use API Call nodes when you need guaranteed, flow-controlled execution at a specific point in the conversation.