> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.polpo.sh/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tools

> Built-in and custom capabilities available to agents

`allowedTools` controls the optional tools available to an agent. It is an allowlist, but two groups have special defaults:

* `vault_get`, `vault_list`, `register_outcome`, `http_fetch`, and `http_download` are always registered. Vault tools are kept for legacy agent-scoped secrets; use [Connections](/docs/agents/connections) for new external API keys and integrations.
* If `allowedTools` is omitted or empty, Polpo also registers the baseline coding tools: `read`, `write`, `edit`, `bash`, `glob`, `grep`, and `ls`.
* If `allowedTools` is non-empty, include every coding tool the agent still needs. Optional tool categories and custom tools are never enabled implicitly.

## Built-in catalog

| Category      | Tools                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Coding        | `read`, `write`, `edit`, `bash`, `glob`, `grep`, `ls`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| Core and HTTP | `vault_get`, `vault_list`, `register_outcome`, `http_fetch`, `http_download`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| Browser       | `browser_navigate`, `browser_snapshot`, `browser_click`, `browser_fill`, `browser_type`, `browser_press`, `browser_screenshot`, `browser_get`, `browser_select`, `browser_hover`, `browser_scroll`, `browser_wait`, `browser_eval`, `browser_close`, `browser_back`, `browser_forward`, `browser_reload`, `browser_tabs` |
| Images        | `image_generate`, `image_analyze`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| Video         | `video_generate`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| Audio         | `audio_transcribe`, `audio_speak`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| Search        | `search_web`, `search_find_similar`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| Email         | `email_send`, `email_draft`, `email_list`, `email_read`, `email_search`, `email_download_attachment`, `email_verify`, `email_count`                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| Spreadsheets  | `excel_read`, `excel_write`, `excel_query`, `excel_info`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| PDF           | `pdf_read`, `pdf_create`, `pdf_merge`, `pdf_info`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| Word          | `docx_read`, `docx_create`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Memory        | `memory_get`, `memory_save`, `memory_append`, `memory_update`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |

[Connections](/docs/agents/connections) add explicit GitHub, Slack, Google Drive, remote MCP, channel, and API-key-backed tools. Project [custom tools](/docs/agents/custom-tools) are enabled by their exact snake-case name.

## Wildcards

The runtime expands these category wildcards:

```txt theme={null}
browser_*  image_*  video_*  audio_*  search_*
email_*    excel_*  pdf_*    docx_*   memory_*
```

Connection tools do not have a catalog wildcard. List them explicitly.

```json theme={null}
{
  "name": "researcher",
  "allowedTools": [
    "read",
    "write",
    "grep",
    "search_*",
    "browser_*",
    "memory_*",
    "drive_search_files"
  ]
}
```

<Warning>
  A wildcard grants every current tool in that category and may include new tools added in a later release. Use exact names where the grant must remain fixed.
</Warning>

## Runtime tool router

Large tool palettes can be exposed progressively. When the runtime tool router
is active, the model receives a small set of router tools instead of every
schema upfront:

* `tool_list` and `tool_search` discover available tools.
* `tool_read` loads one exact tool schema on demand.
* `tool_call` executes the selected tool with JSON arguments.

`allowedTools` remains the source of truth. The router can only discover and
execute tools already granted to the agent; it does not expand permissions or
expose secrets. Hosts can configure this with `POLPO_TOOL_ROUTER=auto|on|off`,
`POLPO_TOOL_ROUTER_THRESHOLD`, and `POLPO_TOOL_ROUTER_DIRECT_TOOLS`.

## Audio providers

Audio tools use the model configured on the agent. `audio_transcribe` reads
`transcribe_model`; `audio_speak` reads `tts_model`. Both fields use the
`provider/model` format.

| Capability    | Providers                                    | Example                     |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------- | --------------------------- |
| Transcription | OpenAI, Deepgram                             | `deepgram/nova-3`           |
| Speech        | OpenAI, Deepgram, ElevenLabs, local Edge TTS | `deepgram/aura-2-thalia-en` |

OpenAI, Deepgram, and ElevenLabs audio models call the provider directly and
require the matching provider credential. Prefer managed routing or Connections
where available; legacy direct-provider paths can still use the agent vault.
`edge/edge-tts` runs in the agent sandbox and does not require a key. Audio
traffic does not currently use the managed Model Gateway.

For US English, start with `deepgram/nova-3` for transcription and
`deepgram/aura-2-thalia-en` for speech. Add a `deepgram` provider credential
once; both tools reuse it.

```json theme={null}
{
  "name": "voice-agent",
  "allowedTools": ["audio_transcribe", "audio_speak"],
  "transcribe_model": "deepgram/nova-3",
  "tts_model": "deepgram/aura-2-thalia-en"
}
```

## Filesystem access

`allowedPaths` restricts filesystem tools to selected paths. Relative paths resolve from the agent working directory; in Polpo Cloud that directory is `/home/daytona/project/workspace`.

```json theme={null}
{
  "name": "frontend-dev",
  "allowedTools": ["read", "write", "edit", "bash", "glob", "grep"],
  "allowedPaths": ["src/client", "src/shared", "public"]
}
```

If `allowedPaths` is omitted, access defaults to the workspace. Paths do not grant tools: the agent still needs the corresponding entries in `allowedTools`.