AI Tools (Function Calling)

Let your bot take actions during conversations — capture leads, book appointments, search the web, and more.

What Are AI Tools?

AI Tools use the function calling capability of modern LLMs. Instead of just generating text, the AI can invoke specific tools when the conversation calls for it — completely automatically, no code required on your part.

📘 How it works You define which tools a bot can use. During a conversation, the AI decides on its own when to call a tool based on what the user says. The plugin handles the execution and returns the result to the AI, which incorporates it into its response.

Available Tools

Lead Capture

Collect contact information (name, email, phone, company) naturally during chat. See Lead Capture for full details.

Appointment Booking

Let users check availability and book appointments in-chat. See Appointments for full details.

Email Alerts

Send email notifications to site admins based on conversation context. See Email Alerts for full details.

Web Search

Allow the bot to search the internet for current information when a question goes beyond your knowledge base.

Custom Webhooks

Connect the bot to any external service via HTTP. See Webhooks for full details.

MCP Servers

Extend capabilities with the Model Context Protocol standard. See MCP Servers for full details.

Enabling Tools on a Bot

Go to AxiaChat AI → Bots and edit your bot.
Scroll to the AI Tools section.
Toggle on the tools you want this bot to have.
For tools that are add-ons (Lead Capture, Appointments, LiveChat), make sure the add-on is also enabled in AxiaChat AI → Settings → Add-ons.

Web Search in Detail

The web search tool lets the bot query the internet when it needs information not in your knowledge base.

Provider Support

Provider	Models	Implementation
OpenAI	GPT-4o, GPT-5 series	Native `web_search` capability
Claude	Claude 4.x	`web_search_20250305` tool
Gemini	Gemini 2.x	`google_search` grounding

Features

Sources are automatically cited in responses
Optional domain allowlist — restrict searches to trusted sites only
No additional API keys needed (uses the provider's built-in search)

When to Use It

News sites that need current information
Product comparison queries
Research and fact verification
Complementing your knowledge base with web data

How to Enable

Go to AxiaChat AI → Bots and edit your bot.
In the AI Tools section, enable "Web Search".
Optionally, configure the allowed domains list.

Tools Logging

Every tool invocation is logged for transparency and debugging:

Execution duration
Response excerpts
Error tracking
Searchable admin interface

Access: AxiaChat AI → Logs → Tools

Security by Design

Isolated execution — Tools run in separate contexts
No secret exposure — API keys and sensitive data are never sent to AI models
Admin authorization — Every tool requires explicit opt-in per bot
Rate limiting — Built-in protection against abuse

💡 Instruct your bot Tools work best when you tell the bot when to use them in your instructions. For example: "When the user asks for pricing, use the lead capture tool to collect their email first."