Tool best practices

Tool design

Tools let agents act. That makes them powerful, but also easy to misuse. Define exactly when a tool may run, what information it needs, and what happens if it fails.

A tool should extend a stable conversation, not compensate for a weak one.

Tools let an agent take action outside the conversation.

Examples include sending an email, sending an SMS, calling an API, or forwarding a live call.

When to add a tool

Add a tool only when the agent needs to do something concrete.

Good reasons:

• send a call summary to a team,
• send an appointment confirmation by SMS,
• look up customer information in another system,
• create a support ticket,
• forward an urgent caller to a human.

Do not add a tool just because it is available. Every tool increases testing and failure handling requirements.

Tool instructions

For each tool, the prompt should define:

Question	Example
When should the tool be used?	"Use SMS only after the caller asks for written confirmation."
What information is required?	"Collect name, phone number, and preferred appointment time first."
Does the caller need to consent?	"Ask before sending an SMS."
What should the agent say before using it?	"I will send that confirmation now."
What happens if it fails?	"Apologize and offer manual follow-up."

Email tools

Use email tools for summaries, internal notifications, or follow-up messages.

Good practice:

• keep the subject predictable,
• include only relevant conversation details,
• avoid sending sensitive data unless your workflow requires it,
• tell the caller what will happen next.

SMS tools

Use SMS tools for short confirmations, links, or reminders.

Good practice:

• ask for consent before sending,
• keep messages short,
• confirm or collect the recipient number when needed,
• avoid sending long explanations by SMS.

API tools

API tools connect Nuvoca to external systems.

Use them when the agent must read or write structured data, for example checking availability or creating a ticket.

Before going live:

• test successful responses,
• test failures and timeouts,
• confirm what data is sent,
• avoid exposing secrets in prompts,
• define a human fallback.

Conference forwarding

Conference forwarding is a voice tool for live handover. See Conference forwarding.

Testing checklist

• The agent uses the tool only in the intended situations.
• Required information is collected first.
• The caller hears a clear explanation before the tool is used.
• Success behavior is clear.
• Failure behavior is clear.
• Sensitive data is not sent unintentionally.