Tools

Overview

Tools extend what an LLM can do beyond generating text. Define them in the .prompty frontmatter under the tools: key. When the prompt executes, the runtime passes tool definitions to the LLM as part of the API call. If the model decides to use a tool, the agent loop handles calling the function and feeding the result back into the conversation.

tools:
  - name: get_weather
    kind: function
    description: Get current weather for a city
    parameters:
      - name: city
        kind: string
        required: true

Every tool has a name, a kind that determines its type, and an optional description. Beyond that, each kind carries its own fields. Prompty supports five tool kinds — plus a wildcard catch-all.

---

Tool Types at a Glance

flowchart TD
    Tool["Tool (base)\nname · kind · description · bindings"]
    Tool --> FunctionTool["FunctionTool\nkind: function\nparameters · strict\n→ local function call"]
    Tool --> PromptyTool["PromptyTool\nkind: prompty\npath · mode\n→ child .prompty execution"]
    Tool --> McpTool["McpTool\nkind: mcp\nserverName · connection\napprovalMode · allowedTools"]
    Tool --> OpenApiTool["OpenApiTool\nkind: openapi\nconnection · specification\n→ REST API call"]
    Tool --> CustomTool["CustomTool\nkind: * (wildcard)\nconnection · options\n→ provider-specific"]

    Dispatch["Tool.load_kind(data) resolves kind → concrete class\nUnknown kinds automatically become CustomTool"]

    style Tool fill:#1d4ed8,stroke:#1e40af,color:#fff
    style FunctionTool fill:#eff6ff,stroke:#3b82f6,color:#1d4ed8
    style PromptyTool fill:#eff6ff,stroke:#3b82f6,color:#1d4ed8
    style McpTool fill:#eff6ff,stroke:#3b82f6,color:#1d4ed8
    style OpenApiTool fill:#eff6ff,stroke:#3b82f6,color:#1d4ed8
    style CustomTool fill:#eff6ff,stroke:#3b82f6,color:#1d4ed8
    style Dispatch fill:#fefce8,stroke:#f59e0b,color:#92400e

---

FunctionTool — kind: function

Function tools define local functions that the runtime can call directly when the LLM requests them. This is the most common tool type — you provide a function name, description, and a parameter schema, and the executor maps tool calls to your Python functions at runtime.

tools:
  - name: get_weather
    kind: function
    description: Get current weather for a city
    parameters:
      - name: city
        kind: string
        description: City name
        required: true
      - name: units
        kind: string
        description: Temperature units
        default: celsius

Strict Mode

Set strict: true to constrain the LLM to output only arguments that match the exact parameter schema. This adds "strict": true to the function definition and "additionalProperties": false to the JSON Schema sent to the API — preventing the model from hallucinating extra parameters.

tools:
  - name: get_weather
    kind: function
    description: Get current weather for a city
    strict: true
    parameters:
      - name: city
        kind: string
        required: true

Tip

Strict mode works with OpenAI and Microsoft Foundry. It is especially useful when the tool has a rigid contract and you want to guarantee the model respects it.

---

PromptyTool — kind: prompty

Prompty tools let one .prompty file call another as a tool. Instead of writing a function, you point at a child .prompty file — the runtime loads it, sends the LLM-provided arguments as inputs, and returns the result.

tools:
  - name: summarize
    kind: prompty
    description: Summarize a piece of text
    path: ./summarize.prompty
    mode: single
    parameters:
      - name: text
        kind: string
        description: The text to summarize
    bindings:
      - name: context
        input: document

Field	Description
path	Relative path to the child .prompty file (resolved from the parent’s location)
mode	single (default) — one LLM call via prepare + run. agentic — full agent loop via turn
parameters	Optional parameter schema. If omitted, the child’s inputs are used automatically
bindings	Map parent inputs → child parameters (the bound parameters are stripped from the wire schema)

Wire Projection

When sent to the LLM, a PromptyTool is projected as a standard function tool. The runtime:

1. Loads the child .prompty file
2. Uses its inputs as the function parameters
3. Strips any bound parameter names from the schema
4. Uses the tool’s description (or the child’s if not set)

The LLM sees it as a regular function call — it doesn’t know it’s backed by another prompt.

Tip

PromptyTool is ideal for composable prompt chains — break complex tasks into focused sub-prompts (summarization, extraction, classification) and let the agent decide when to use each one.

---

McpTool — kind: mcp

MCP (Model Context Protocol) tools connect to an external MCP server that exposes a set of capabilities. You reference the server by name and optionally restrict which tools the model can access.

tools:
  - name: filesystem
    kind: mcp
    serverName: fs-server
    connection:
      kind: reference
      name: my-mcp-server
    approvalMode:
      kind: always
    allowedTools:
      - read_file
      - list_directory

Field	Description
serverName	Identifier of the MCP server to connect to
connection	How to reach the server (any Connection type)
approvalMode	When tool calls need approval — always, never, or specify (with per-tool lists)
allowedTools	Whitelist of tool names the model may invoke (optional)

Note

The MCP server definition itself lives outside the .prompty file. The connection block tells Prompty how to reach it — often via a ReferenceConnection that resolves at runtime.

---

OpenApiTool — kind: openapi

OpenAPI tools let the LLM call a REST API described by an OpenAPI specification. Prompty reads the spec to understand available operations and translates tool calls into HTTP requests.

tools:
  - name: weather_api
    kind: openapi
    connection:
      kind: key
      endpoint: https://api.weather.com
      apiKey: ${env:WEATHER_API_KEY}
    specification: ./weather.openapi.json

Field	Description
connection	Endpoint and auth for the API (any Connection type)
specification	Path to an OpenAPI JSON/YAML spec (relative to the .prompty file)

Tip

The specification path is resolved relative to the .prompty file’s directory, just like ${file:...} references in other frontmatter fields.

---

CustomTool — kind: * (Wildcard)

Any kind value that doesn’t match function, mcp, or openapi is caught by the CustomTool wildcard. This is the extensibility escape hatch — use it to integrate with tool providers that Prompty doesn’t have built-in support for.

tools:
  - name: my_tool
    kind: my_custom_provider
    connection:
      kind: key
      endpoint: https://custom.example.com
    options:
      setting: value

Field	Description
connection	Optional connection for the custom provider
options	Free-form dictionary passed through to the provider

The runtime loads these as CustomTool instances. Your executor or a plugin is responsible for interpreting the kind and options at execution time.

---

Tool Bindings

All tool types support optional bindings that map between the tool’s parameters and the prompt’s input schema. Use bindings when the tool’s parameter names don’t match your prompt’s input variable names.

tools:
  - name: search
    kind: function
    description: Search for documents
    bindings:
      - name: query
        input: userQuestion
    parameters:
      - name: query
        kind: string
        required: true

In this example, the tool parameter query is bound to the prompt input userQuestion — so the value of userQuestion is automatically passed as query when the tool is invoked.

---

Using Tools at Runtime

Tools defined in the frontmatter are sent to the LLM as part of the API request. To actually execute the tool calls the model returns, use turn() — which runs the agent loop: call the LLM, execute any requested tools, feed results back, and repeat until the model produces a final response.

Python

from prompty import load, turn, tool, bind_tools

@tool
def get_weather(city: str, units: str = "celsius") -> str:
    """Get the current weather for a city."""
    return f"72°F and sunny in {city}"

agent = load("agent.prompty")
tools = bind_tools(agent, [get_weather])

result = turn(agent, inputs={"question": "Weather in Seattle?"}, tools=tools)

TypeScript

import { load, turn, tool, bindTools } from "@prompty/core";

const getWeather = tool(
  (city: string, units = "celsius") => `72°F and sunny in ${city}`,
  {
    name: "get_weather",
    description: "Get the current weather for a city",
    parameters: [
      { name: "city", kind: "string", required: true },
      { name: "units", kind: "string", default: "celsius" },
    ],
  },
);

const agent = await load("agent.prompty");
const tools = bindTools(agent, [getWeather]);

const result = await turn(agent, { question: "Weather in Seattle?" }, { tools });

C#

using Prompty.Core;

public class WeatherService
{
    [Tool(Name = "get_weather", Description = "Get the current weather")]
    public string GetWeather(string city, string units = "celsius")
    {
        return $"72°F and sunny in {city}";
    }
}

var agent = PromptyLoader.Load("agent.prompty");
var service = new WeatherService();
var tools = ToolAttribute.BindTools(agent, service);

var result = await Pipeline.TurnAsync(agent, inputs, tools: tools);

Rust

use serde_json::json;

prompty::register_tool_handler("get_weather", |args| {
    Box::pin(async move {
        let city = args["city"].as_str().unwrap_or("unknown");
        let units = args["units"].as_str().unwrap_or("celsius");
        Ok(json!(format!("72°F and sunny in {city}")))
    })
});

let agent = prompty::load("agent.prompty")?;
let inputs = json!({"question": "Weather in Seattle?"});
let result = prompty::turn(&agent, Some(&inputs), None).await?;

Python

result = turn(
    agent,
    inputs={"question": "Weather in Seattle?"},
    tools=tools,
)
print(result)

Python (async)

result = await turn_async(
    agent,
    inputs={"question": "Weather in Seattle?"},
    tools=tools,
)
print(result)

TypeScript

const result = await turn(agent, {
  question: "Weather in Seattle?",
}, { tools });
console.log(result);

C#

var result = await Pipeline.TurnAsync(
    agent, inputs, tools: tools, maxIterations: 10);

Console.WriteLine(result);

Rust

use serde_json::json;

let agent = prompty::load("agent.prompty")?;
let inputs = json!({"question": "Weather in Seattle?"});
let result = prompty::turn(&agent, Some(&inputs), None).await?;
println!("{result}");

Tip

turn / turn / TurnAsync runs the full agent loop — it calls the LLM, executes any returned tool calls, appends the results, and loops until the model returns a final response. Use invoke for single-turn calls where you handle tool responses yourself.

---

Custom Tool Registry

Prompty uses a two-layer registry for extensible tool support. This lets you add custom tool kinds (beyond the built-in function, mcp, openapi) and control both how they’re presented to the LLM and how they’re executed.

Layer 1: Wire Projection — registerTool()

The tool projector converts a tool definition from your .prompty frontmatter into the wire format the LLM expects (typically an OpenAI-style function definition).

Python

from prompty import register_tool

def my_tool_projector(tool) -> dict:
    """Convert a custom tool kind into an OpenAI function definition."""
    return {
        "type": "function",
        "function": {
            "name": tool.name,
            "description": tool.description,
            "parameters": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    p.name: {"type": p.kind, "description": p.description}
                    for p in tool.parameters.properties
                },
            },
        },
    }

register_tool("my_provider", my_tool_projector)

TypeScript

import { registerTool } from "@prompty/core";
import type { Tool } from "@prompty/core";

function myToolProjector(tool: Tool): object {
  return {
    type: "function",
    function: {
      name: tool.name,
      description: tool.description,
      parameters: { /* ... */ },
    },
  };
}

registerTool("my_provider", myToolProjector);

C#

using Prompty.Core;

// Register a name-based tool function
ToolDispatch.RegisterTool("calculator", async (args) =>
{
    var parsed = ToolDispatch.ParseArguments(args);
    var expression = parsed["expression"]?.ToString() ?? "";
    return Evaluate(expression).ToString();
});

// Register a kind-based tool handler for a custom provider
// Handles ALL tools with kind: "my_provider"
ToolDispatch.RegisterToolHandler("my_provider", new MyToolHandler());

Rust

use serde_json::json;

fn my_tool_projector(tool: &prompty::Tool) -> serde_json::Value {
    json!({
        "type": "function",
        "function": {
            "name": tool.name,
            "description": tool.description,
            "parameters": { /* ... */ },
        }
    })
}

prompty::register_tool("my_provider", my_tool_projector);

When the executor sends tools to the LLM, it calls each tool’s registered projector to produce the wire-format definition. Built-in kinds (function, prompty) have projectors pre-registered.

Layer 2: Dispatch — registerToolHandler()

The tool handler is called during the agent loop when the LLM requests a tool call. It receives the tool definition and the arguments from the LLM, and returns the result string.

Python

from prompty import register_tool_handler

def my_tool_handler(tool, args: dict) -> str:
    """Execute a custom tool kind during the agent loop."""
    # Use tool.connection, tool.options, etc.
    result = call_my_service(tool.connection.endpoint, args)
    return str(result)

register_tool_handler("my_provider", my_tool_handler)

TypeScript

import { registerToolHandler } from "@prompty/core";
import type { Tool } from "@prompty/core";

function myToolHandler(tool: Tool, args: Record<string, unknown>): string {
  // Use tool.connection, tool.options, etc.
  return callMyService(tool.connection.endpoint, args);
}

registerToolHandler("my_provider", myToolHandler);

C#

using Prompty.Core;

// Kind-based handler: implement a class for the custom tool kind
ToolDispatch.RegisterToolHandler("my_provider", new MyToolHandler());

// Dispatch follows this order:
// 1. userTools dict (passed to TurnAsync)
// 2. Name registry (RegisterTool)
// 3. Kind handler (RegisterToolHandler)
// 4. Wildcard "*" handler
// 5. Error — tool not found

// Parse LLM-returned JSON arguments into a dictionary
var args = ToolDispatch.ParseArguments(jsonArgs);
var city = args["city"]?.ToString() ?? "unknown";

Rust

use serde_json::json;

prompty::register_tool_handler("my_provider", |args| {
    Box::pin(async move {
        // Use the tool's connection, options, etc.
        let result = call_my_service(&args).await?;
        Ok(json!(result))
    })
});

When Do You Need This?

Scenario	Register projector?	Register handler?
Custom tool kind (e.g., a proprietary API)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Override wire format for built-in kind	✅ Yes	No — use tools dict in turn
Custom execution for built-in kind	No	✅ Yes
Standard function tools	No — pre-registered	No — use tools dict

Tip

For most use cases, you don’t need the registry at all — just pass your functions in the tools dict to turn(). The registry is for custom tool kinds that need special wire projection or dispatch logic.

Next Steps

• Agent Tool Calling How-To — practical guide to building tool-calling agents
• Chat Assistant Tutorial — end-to-end tutorial with tools
• Prompt Composition — composing prompts with PromptyTool