---
title: Creating a new tool
---

```python
# Are you wanting to create your own AG2 tool?
# You're in the right place.
my_tool = MyAmazingTool()
```

<Tip>
We'll be getting into the AG2 code-base, it's useful to understand how AG2 works under the hood, [see this section](/docs/contributor-guide/how-ag2-works/overview) for the rundown.
</Tip>

Creating a new tool in AG2 is easy and empowers any [ConversableAgent](/docs/api-reference/autogen/ConversableAgent)-based agent in AG2.

## How a tool is created

Let's look at how the [Crawl4AITool](/docs/api-reference/autogen/tools/experimental/Crawl4AITool) tool was implemented.

The Crawl4AITool uses a 3rd party package to crawl a website and extract information, returning the crawled data as its response.

Here's some code from the Crawl4AITool with annotations added ([current code here](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/blob/main/autogen/tools/experimental/crawl4ai/crawl4ai.py)):

```python
# Imports from 3rd party packages are handled with this context manager
with optional_import_block():
    from crawl4ai import AsyncWebCrawler, BrowserConfig, CacheMode, CrawlerRunConfig
    from crawl4ai.extraction_strategy import LLMExtractionStrategy

__all__ = ["Crawl4AITool"]

# Denote that this requires a 3rd party package, with "crawl4ai"
# being the namespace. Our AG2 'extra' is called "crawl4ai".
@require_optional_import(["crawl4ai"], "crawl4ai")
@export_module("autogen.tools.experimental")
# Indicates where this appears in the API Reference documentation
# autogen > tools > experimental > Crawl4AITool
class Crawl4AITool(Tool): # Built on the Tool class
    """
    Crawl a website and extract information using the crawl4ai library.
    """
    # Ensure there's a docstring for the tool for documentation

    def __init__(
        self,
        llm_config: Optional[dict[str, Any]] = None,
        extraction_model: Optional[type[BaseModel]] = None,
        llm_strategy_kwargs: Optional[dict[str, Any]] = None,
    ) -> None:
        """
        Initialize the Crawl4AITool.

        Args:
            llm_config: The config dictionary for the LLM model. If None, the tool will run without LLM.
            extraction_model: The Pydantic model to use for extraction. If None, the tool will use the default schema.
            llm_strategy_kwargs: The keyword arguments to pass to the LLM extraction strategy.
        """ # Follow this docstring format
        llm_config = LLMConfig.get_current_llm_config(llm_config)
        Crawl4AITool._validate_llm_strategy_kwargs(llm_strategy_kwargs, llm_config_provided=(llm_config is not None))

        # Helper function inside init
        async def crawl4ai_helper(  # type: ignore[no-any-unimported]
            url: str,
            browser_cfg: Optional["BrowserConfig"] = None,
            crawl_config: Optional["CrawlerRunConfig"] = None,
        ) -> Any:
            async with AsyncWebCrawler(config=browser_cfg) as crawler:
                result = await crawler.arun(
                    url=url,
                    config=crawl_config,
                )

            if crawl_config is None:
                response = result.markdown
            else:
                response = result.extracted_content if result.success else result.error_message

            return response

        # Crawl without an LLM
        async def crawl4ai_without_llm(
            url: Annotated[str, "The url to crawl and extract information from."],
        ) -> Any:
            return await crawl4ai_helper(url=url)

        # Crawl with an LLM, using the LLM configuration passed in
        async def crawl4ai_with_llm(
            url: Annotated[str, "The url to crawl and extract information from."],
            instruction: Annotated[str, "The instruction to provide on how and what to extract."],
            llm_config: Annotated[Any, Depends(on(llm_config))],
            llm_strategy_kwargs: Annotated[Optional[dict[str, Any]], Depends(on(llm_strategy_kwargs))],
            extraction_model: Annotated[Optional[type[BaseModel]], Depends(on(extraction_model))],
        ) -> Any:
            browser_cfg = BrowserConfig(headless=True)
            crawl_config = Crawl4AITool._get_crawl_config(
                llm_config=llm_config,
                instruction=instruction,
                extraction_model=extraction_model,
                llm_strategy_kwargs=llm_strategy_kwargs,
            )

            return await crawl4ai_helper(url=url, browser_cfg=browser_cfg, crawl_config=crawl_config)

        # Initialise the base Tool class with the LLM description
        # and the function to call
        super().__init__(
            name="crawl4ai",
            description="Crawl a website and extract information.",
            func_or_tool=crawl4ai_without_llm if llm_config is None else crawl4ai_with_llm,
        )
```

And this tool can now be registered with any [ConversableAgent](/docs/api-reference/autogen/ConversableAgent)-based agent.

Here's how to use the Crawl4AITool:

```python
from autogen import ConversableAgent, LLMConfig

# Import the Tool
from autogen.tools.experimental import Crawl4AITool

llm_config = LLMConfig(model="gpt-4o-mini", api_key=os.environ["OPENAI_API_KEY"])

# Agent for LLM tool recommendation
with llm_config:
    assistant = AssistantAgent(name="assistant")

# Agent for tool execution
user_proxy = UserProxyAgent(name="user_proxy", human_input_mode="NEVER")

# Create the tool, with defaults
crawlai_tool = Crawl4AITool()

# Register it for LLM recommendation and execution
crawlai_tool.register_for_llm(assistant)
crawlai_tool.register_for_execution(user_proxy)

result = user_proxy.initiate_chat(
    recipient=assistant,
    message="Get info from https://docs.ag2.ai/docs/Home",
    max_turns=2,
)
```

## Protecting secrets

Secrets such as password, tokens, or personal information needs to be protected from capture. AG2 provides dependency injection as a way to secure this sensitive information while still allowing agents to perform their tasks effectively, even when working with large language models (LLMs).

See the DiscordSendTool example in the [Creating an Agent](/docs/contributor-guide/building/creating-an-agent#how-a-tool-based-agent-is-created) documentation to see how it is implemented for a tool.

See [Tools with Secrets](/docs/user-guide/advanced-concepts/tools/tools-with-secrets) for guidance.

## Where to put your code

Decide on a folder name that matches your tool name, use underscores to separate words, e.g. `deep_research`.

Create your tool code in a folder under [`autogen/tools/contrib/`](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/tree/main/autogen/tools/contrib).

Put your tool tests in a folder under [`test/tools/contrib`](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/tree/main/test/tools/contrib).

## Documentation

As a way for other developers to learn about and understand how to use your tool, it is recommended to create a Jupyter notebook that:

- Explains what the tool is
- How to install AG2 for the tool (e.g. with extras)
- Has sample codes, simple to advanced
- Notes on capabilities and limitations

As an example, here's the [notebook](/docs/use-cases/notebooks/notebooks/tools_crawl4ai) for the Crawl4AI tool.

## 3rd party packages

If your tool requires a 3rd party package to be installed, add an extra in the [pyproject.toml](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/blob/main/pyproject.toml) file, for example:

```text
twilio = [
    "fastapi>=0.115.0,<1",
    "uvicorn>=0.30.6,<1",
    "twilio>=9.3.2,<10>"
]
```

Put the current version of the packages as the minimum version and the next major version for the **less than** value.

Changes to [pyproject.toml](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/blob/main/pyproject.toml) cover `autogen` and `ag2` packages because they propagate automatically to [setup_ag2.py](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/blob/main/setup_ag2.py) and [setup_autogen.py](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/blob/main/setup_autogen.py).

## Tests

It's critical that tests are created for each piece of functionality within your tool.

See this [test file](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/blob/main/test/tools/experimental/browser_use/test_browser_use.py) for the [BrowserUseTool](/docs/api-reference/autogen/tools/experimental/BrowserUseTool) as an example.

See this documentation for how to run [tests locally and coverage](/docs/contributor-guide/tests).

## Create a Pull Request

We're excited to review and test your new AG2 tool! Create your Pull Request (PR) [here](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/pulls).

Set the PR as a Draft PR if you're not ready for it to be merged into the AG2 repository.

See our [Contributor Guide](/docs/contributor-guide/contributing) for more guidance.

## Encapsulating the tools in an agent

If it makes sense to have an agent pre-built with your tool(s), consider creating a [tool-based agent](/docs/contributor-guide/building/creating-an-agent#how-a-tool-based-agent-is-created). Now, when you need your tool you can just add the agent to your workflow.

## Help me get started...

Two basic agents and a tool are available in the agents and tools `contrib` namespaces that you can look at and use as a starting point for your own agents and tools.

- TimeReplyAgent (reply-based Agent) - [source code](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/blob/main/autogen/agents/contrib/time/time_reply_agent.py), [test code](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/blob/main/test/agents/contrib/time/test_timereplyagent.py)
- TimeToolAgent (tool-based Agent) - [source code](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/blob/main/autogen/agents/contrib/time/time_tool_agent.py), [test code](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/blob/main/test/agents/contrib/time/test_timetoolagent.py)
- TimeTool (Tool) - [source code](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/blob/main/autogen/tools/contrib/time/time.py), [test code](https://github.com/ag2ai/ag2/blob/main/test/tools/contrib/time/test_time.py)
