What tools do
A tool is something an agent can use to affect the real world. Without tools, an agent can only talk. With tools, it can do.
Examples of tools #
- Reading and writing files on your computer
- Searching the web and reading pages
- Running commands
- Talking to other programs you use
- Controlling your screen, keyboard, and mouse
How an agent uses one #
When an agent decides it needs a tool, it says so, uses it, and gets a result back. All of that shows up in the conversation. You can see:
- Which tool it used
- What it asked for
- What came back
Nothing is hidden. If an agent read a file, you will see which file.
You decide what is allowed #
An agent can only use tools you have allowed. Some are safe and always on. Others ask you first. Some you may want to switch off entirely.
C5 stops and asks before anything risky — deleting things, spending money, sending data off your computer. You get a clear message describing exactly what it wants to do.
This is covered fully in Permissions.
Built-in safety #
Beyond asking you, C5 has guards that work on their own:
- A tool that keeps failing gets switched off for a while, instead of retrying forever. This stops one broken thing from burning your budget.
- Information leaving your computer is checked as a backstop against an accidental leak. It catches common patterns, not everything — do not rely on it to notice a secret.
- Everything is recorded, so you can look back at what happened.
Adding more tools #
Two ways:
- Integrations connect C5 to services you already use. See Integrations.
- MCP servers are a standard way to add new abilities. See MCP servers.
Seeing which tools get used #
The Tools view in Analytics shows which tools your agents reach for most, and which ones fail. A tool that fails often is usually misconfigured rather than broken.
Where to go next #
- Permissions — set the rules.
- MCP servers — add new abilities.
- Computer use — let an agent drive your screen.