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Built-in Tools Reference

DesireCore built-in tools evolve with the client. This page groups common tools by capability area; the exact tools available to an agent depend on the agent, enabled skills, permissions, and platform.

ToolFunctionRiskConfirmation
ReadRead text, images, PDFs, and large file rangesLowNo
WriteCreate or overwrite filesMediumUsually
EditReplace precise text rangesMediumUsually
NotebookEditEdit Jupyter Notebook cellsMediumUsually
LsList directory contentsLowNo
GlobSearch by filename patternLowNo
GrepSearch file contentsLowNo
ToolSearch / DiscoverToolsInspect authorized tools / load declarations on demandLowNo

Read chooses a strategy by file type. PDFs may be read as text, rendered page by page for vision models, or loaded by range for large files.

System and Workspace​

ToolFunctionRiskConfirmation
BashRun shell commandsHighYes
PowerShellRun PowerShell commands on WindowsHighYes
WhichCheck command availabilityLowNo
ManageWorkDirsManage working directoriesMediumUsually
GenerateUUIDGenerate UUIDsLowNo
JsonRepairRepair common JSON formatting problemsLowNo

Under the default approval mode, command execution asks you to review the full command before it runs (modes such as External Tools Only or Allow All follow their own rules — see the approval modes in the security settings). Work directories provide the agent's default operating context; if you enable "restrict to work directories" in an agent's configuration, file reads and writes are strictly confined to the work-directory whitelist (with it disabled — the default — the agent may access regular local files while sensitive paths stay protected).

Web and Browser​

ToolFunctionRiskConfirmation
WebFetchFetch a webpage as MarkdownLowNo
WebSearchSearch the webLowNo
HttpRequestSend HTTP requests, primarily for Windows environmentsMediumDepends
BrowserActNavigation, input, waiting, screenshots, and browsing interactionsLow-MediumDepends
BrowserDevtoolsNetwork, site storage, console, performance, and raw CDPLow-HighDepends
BrowserResumeResume browser operations after the user asks to continueLowVerifies a new user turn
SitePattern*Read or write site usage patternsLow-MediumMay be needed
LocalBookmarksSearch local browser bookmarks/history hintsLowNo

Browser interaction and developer tools, SitePattern, and LocalBookmarks are Web Access skill-scoped capabilities. BrowserResume is a base entry for resuming a user-paused session. See Web Access.

Collaboration and Tasks​

ToolFunctionRiskConfirmation
DelegateDelegate work to another agent, team, or preset flowMediumDepends
SpawnAgentCreate a temporary sub-agentMediumUsually
HandoffTransfer work to another agentMediumUsually
RequestHelpAsk a persistent agent for helpMediumUsually
SendMessage / SendUserMessageCommunicate between agents or proactively message the userLowNo
AskUserQuestionAsk the user a structured questionLowNo
ManageTeamCreate or adjust an agent teamMediumDepends
TaskBoardCreateCreate a team task board in the current trusted team context and choose its review/responsibility policyLowNo
TaskCreate / TaskUpdateRegister and maintain tasks; state changes require run binding and authorityLowNo
TaskResponsibilityAssignment, claim, handoff, and staged review, subject to server-authorized actionsMediumAuthority checks
TaskList / TaskGetQuery task board stateLowNo

TaskBoardCreate creates a team task board only when trusted team context is available. The agent uses the returned board ID when it creates tasks. An ordinary TaskCreate without a board ID still uses the basic policy board.

Task tool sequence:

  1. Register the task with TaskCreate and obtain its taskRef. This does not claim or start the task.
  2. Assign the executor, then start execution through Delegate with explicit taskRef and contextMode.
  3. After server admission checks pass, the executor can claim the task, advance its state, or submit it for review.

Use TaskGet to inspect currently available actions and rejection reasons.

Context, Memory, and Skills​

ToolFunctionRiskConfirmation
RecallConversationRetrieve conversation historyLowNo
ManageContextPin/discard conversation content, clear history, adjust context budgetMediumDepends
CompactSessionCompact long conversation contextLowNo
SkillLoad or invoke a skillDependsDepends

ManageContext lets an agent actively curate its own conversation context: pin key content it wants to keep around, discard tool results it no longer needs, collapse history down to just the system layer plus whatever is pinned, or temporarily adjust how much context budget the current session is allowed to use. None of this physically deletes the original record — the full history remains available to look back on (actions with information loss, such as clearing history or discarding a tool result, require confirmation; other operations do not).

Automation​

ToolFunctionRiskConfirmation
CreateScheduleCreate delay, at, interval, or cron schedulesMediumYes
HeartbeatRespondSubmit heartbeat outcome, notifications, and file linksLowNo
WorkflowCreateCreate workflow definitionsMediumUsually
WorkflowValidate / WorkflowTestValidate or test workflow definitionsLowNo
WorkflowRunRun workflowsMediumUsually
WorkflowViewOpen the workflow canvas for inspectionLowNo

Documents and Media​

ToolFunctionRiskConfirmation
ExportDocumentExport PDF, DOCX, or related formatsLow-MediumDepends
GenerateImageGenerate or edit imagesMediumDepends on provider/cost
GenerateVideoGenerate videosMediumDepends on provider/cost
BeautifyImageImprove, crop, center, or optimize imagesMediumDepends
UnderstandImageUse a vision providerLow-MediumDepends
MathCalcDeterministic high-precision calculationLowNo

Media generation tools require a configured image_gen, video_gen, or image processing provider. See Media Generation.

MCP Resources​

ToolFunctionRiskConfirmation
McpListResources / McpReadResourceList and read MCP resourcesLowNo
McpListPrompts / McpGetPromptList and expand MCP promptsLowNo

MCP tools come from connected external services. Their permissions, risks, and approval behavior depend on the service declaration and DesireCore local permission policy.