---
title: 'Tools Overview'
description: 'Comprehensive guide to all available tools in PandaAGI SDK'
---

## Available Tools

The PandaAGI SDK comes with a rich set of built-in tools that extend your agents' capabilities. Tools are organized into categories based on their functionality.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card
    title="Search Tools"
    icon="magnifying-glass"
    href="/tools/search"
  >
    Web search, knowledge base queries, and information retrieval
  </Card>
  <Card
    title="Navigation Tools"
    icon="compass"
    href="/tools/navigation"
  >
    Web browsing, page interaction, and content extraction
  </Card>
  <Card
    title="File System Tools"
    icon="folder"
    href="/tools/file-system"
  >
    File operations, code execution, and workspace management
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Quick Reference

### Search Tools

| Tool | Description | Use Case |
|------|-------------|----------|
| `WebSearchTool` | Search the web using various engines | Finding current information |
| `KnowledgeSearchTool` | Search internal knowledge bases | Company docs, custom data |
| `ImageSearchTool` | Search for images | Visual content discovery |

### Navigation Tools

| Tool | Description | Use Case |
|------|-------------|----------|
| `WebNavigationTool` | Browse and interact with websites | Content extraction, form filling |
| `APINavigationTool` | Interact with REST APIs | Data retrieval, service integration |
| `DatabaseTool` | Query databases | Data analysis, reporting |

### File System Tools

| Tool | Description | Use Case |
|------|-------------|----------|
| `FileSystemTool` | File and directory operations | File management, data processing |
| `CodeExecutionTool` | Execute code in various languages | Script running, computation |
| `TextProcessingTool` | Process and analyze text | Content analysis, formatting |

## Tool Usage Patterns

### Basic Tool Usage

```python
from panda_agi.client import Agent
from panda_agi.tools.search import WebSearchTool

# Create agent with a single tool
agent = Agent(
    name="SearchAgent",
    tools=[WebSearchTool()]
)

response = agent.run("What's the latest news about AI?")
```

### Multiple Tools

```python
from panda_agi.tools.search import WebSearchTool
from panda_agi.tools.navigation import WebNavigationTool
from panda_agi.tools.file_system import FileSystemTool

# Agent with multiple complementary tools
research_agent = Agent(
    name="ResearchAgent",
    tools=[
        WebSearchTool(max_results=10),
        WebNavigationTool(),
        FileSystemTool()
    ]
)
```

### Tool Configuration

```python
# Configure tools for specific use cases
search_tool = WebSearchTool(
    engine="google",
    max_results=5,
    safe_search=True,
    region="US"
)

nav_tool = WebNavigationTool(
    headless=True,
    timeout=30,
    user_agent="PandaAGI/1.0"
)
```

## Tool Categories

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Information Retrieval">
    Tools for finding and gathering information:
    - **WebSearchTool**: Search engines (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo)
    - **KnowledgeSearchTool**: Internal knowledge bases
    - **DatabaseTool**: Structured data queries
    - **APINavigationTool**: External service integration
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Content Processing">
    Tools for processing and analyzing content:
    - **TextProcessingTool**: Text analysis and manipulation
    - **ImageProcessingTool**: Image analysis and editing
    - **DocumentTool**: PDF, Word, and other document formats
    - **DataAnalysisTool**: Statistical analysis and visualization
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Automation">
    Tools for automating tasks:
    - **WebNavigationTool**: Browser automation
    - **FileSystemTool**: File and directory operations
    - **CodeExecutionTool**: Script and code execution
    - **EmailTool**: Email sending and management
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Communication">
    Tools for external communication:
    - **SlackTool**: Slack integration
    - **EmailTool**: Email operations
    - **WebhookTool**: HTTP webhooks
    - **NotificationTool**: Push notifications
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Tool Security

All tools implement security best practices:

### Sandboxing
- Tools run in isolated environments
- Limited file system access
- Network restrictions where appropriate

### Rate Limiting
- Built-in rate limiting for external APIs
- Configurable limits per tool
- Automatic backoff and retry

### Input Validation
- All inputs are validated and sanitized
- Protection against injection attacks
- Safe handling of user data

### Permission System
```python
from panda_agi.tools.permissions import PermissionManager

# Configure tool permissions
permissions = PermissionManager()
permissions.allow_tool("WebSearchTool", domains=["*.wikipedia.org"])
permissions.deny_tool("FileSystemTool", paths=["/etc/*"])

agent = Agent(
    name="SecureAgent",
    tools=[WebSearchTool(), FileSystemTool()],
    permissions=permissions
)
```

## Performance Optimization

### Caching
Many tools support caching to improve performance:

```python
from panda_agi.tools.search import WebSearchTool

# Enable caching
search_tool = WebSearchTool(
    cache_enabled=True,
    cache_ttl=3600  # 1 hour
)
```

### Parallel Execution
Tools can be executed in parallel when possible:

```python
from panda_agi.tools.parallel import ParallelToolExecutor

# Execute multiple searches simultaneously
parallel_search = ParallelToolExecutor([
    WebSearchTool(engine="google"),
    WebSearchTool(engine="bing"),
    WebSearchTool(engine="duckduckgo")
])
```

### Resource Management
Configure resource limits to prevent abuse:

```python
tool = WebNavigationTool(
    timeout=30,           # 30 second timeout
    memory_limit="512MB", # Memory limit
    concurrent_limit=5    # Max concurrent operations
)
```

## Custom Tools

Create your own tools for specific needs:

```python
from panda_agi.tools.base import BaseTool

class CustomTool(BaseTool):
    name = "custom_tool"
    description = "A custom tool for specific tasks"
    
    def execute(self, **kwargs):
        # Your custom logic here
        return {"result": "success"}
```

## Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Tool Selection">
    Choose the right tools for your use case:
    - Use specific tools rather than general ones when possible
    - Consider tool combinations for complex workflows
    - Balance functionality with security requirements
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Configuration">
    Properly configure tools for optimal performance:
    - Set appropriate timeouts and limits
    - Enable caching for repeated operations
    - Configure security settings based on your environment
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Error Handling">
    Implement robust error handling:
    - Handle tool failures gracefully
    - Implement retry logic for transient failures
    - Log errors for debugging and monitoring
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Monitoring">
    Monitor tool usage and performance:
    - Track tool execution times
    - Monitor error rates and types
    - Set up alerts for unusual behavior
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card
    title="Search Tools"
    icon="magnifying-glass"
    href="/tools/search"
  >
    Learn about web search and knowledge retrieval tools
  </Card>
  <Card
    title="Navigation Tools"
    icon="compass"
    href="/tools/navigation"
  >
    Explore web browsing and API interaction tools
  </Card>
  <Card
    title="File System Tools"
    icon="folder"
    href="/tools/file-system"
  >
    Discover file operations and code execution tools
  </Card>
  <Card
    title="Custom Tools"
    icon="wrench"
    href="/examples/custom-tools"
  >
    Learn how to create your own custom tools
  </Card>
</CardGroup> 