Customizing Tools

Guide to extending and customizing the Artifact Chat Tool Library

Customizing the Tool Library

This guide walks you through the process of attaching and customizing tools for your Artifact Chat assistants.

Understanding Tool Categories

Before attaching tools to your assistants, it’s important to understand the different tool categories available:

Category	Description	Examples
Images	Image generation and analysis	Image Gen 1, Vision
Web	Internet search and scraping	Web Search, Web Scraper, Site Crawler
Knowledge	Information retrieval and analysis	Documentation, Deep Research
Data	Data visualization and analysis	Chart Generation, CSV Creation
Code	Code analysis and generation	Code Interpreter, File Analysis
Files	File operations and management	File Search, File Analysis
GitHub	Repository management	Repo Search, Issue Management
Gmail	Email management	Send Email, Search Emails
Sequential Thinking	Step-by-step reasoning	Sequential Thinking

Attaching Tools to Assistants

1. Access Tool Settings

   Open the assistant you want to customize and click the “Settings” button, then navigate to the “Tools” section.

2. Browse Available Tools

   Browse through the available tools organized by categories. Each tool displays:

   • Name and description
   • Category indicator (color-coded)
   • Icon representing its function
3. Select Tools

   Click on tools to select them for your assistant. Consider which tools align with your assistant’s purpose.

4. Configure Tools

   Some tools may require configuration:

   • API keys for external services
   • Usage limits
   • Default parameters

   Complete any necessary configuration for each selected tool.

5. Save Changes

   Click “Save” to apply your tool selections to the assistant.

Tool Selection Best Practices

Consider these best practices when selecting tools for your assistants:

1. Purpose Alignment: Choose tools that directly support your assistant’s core purpose
2. Minimize Complexity: Avoid adding unnecessary tools that may confuse the assistant
3. Consider Cost: Some tools make API calls that incur usage costs
4. Balance Capabilities: Combine complementary tools for enhanced functionality
5. Test Thoroughly: Verify that selected tools work well together

Tool Limitations and Considerations

When working with tools, be aware of these limitations:

• Rate Limits: Tools have defined rate limits to prevent abuse
• API Dependencies: External services used by tools may have their own limitations
• Authentication: Some tools require specific API keys or permissions
• Cost Factors: Certain tools may have usage costs associated with them
• Execution Time: Complex tools may take longer to execute

Recommended Tool Combinations

These tool combinations work well for specific assistant types:

Research Assistant

Web Search + Web Scraper + Deep Research

Creative Assistant

Image Gen 1 + Image Analysis

Development Assistant

Code Interpreter + GitHub Tools + Documentation

Data Analyst

Code Interpreter + Chart Generation + CSV Creation

Productivity Assistant

Gmail Tools + Google Drive + Slack

Customizing Tool Behavior

While you cannot modify the core functionality of built-in tools, you can influence how they’re used through your assistant’s system prompt:

Add tool-specific instructions to your system prompt to guide how the assistant should use particular tools. For example:

“When using the Web Search tool, always verify information from multiple sources and cite your references.”

“For image generation tools, start with low-detail descriptions and iteratively refine based on generated results.”

Next Steps

Customizing Assistants

Learn how to customize your assistant’s model, name, and system prompt

Tool Library

Explore the full range of available tools

AI Agents

Understand how AI agents work with tools