cotera

Getting started with tools

Your comprehensive guide to understanding and working with tools in Cotera.

Overview

Tools extend Cotera's capabilities beyond data analysis by connecting your intelligent workflows to external systems and services. They bridge the gap between AI insights and real-world actions, enabling your agents to fetch additional data or execute tasks in your business systems.

Whether you need to send Slack notifications, update CRM records, search for information, or integrate with hundreds of other services, tools provide the connections that turn insights into actions.

Before You Begin

If you're new to Cotera or tools, we recommend starting with these foundational resources:

Learn the Fundamentals

Hands-On Practice

What You'll Learn in This Section

  • How to integrate tools into your Cotera workflows
  • Different approaches to using tools (agent-equipped vs. standalone)
  • Best practices for prompting agents to use tools effectively
  • How to test tool configurations before deployment
  • Understanding the extensive tool ecosystem available in Cotera

Quick Start Path

  1. Start with the basics: Read Tools (Core Concept) to understand what tools are and how they work
  2. Get hands-on: Follow the Use a tool guide to implement your first tool integration
  3. Learn agent-tool integration: Try Create an LLM agent with tools to see tools in action
  4. Master prompting: Study Prompt tools effectively to get the most from your tool-enabled agents
  5. Test thoroughly: Use Test tools and chat to validate your tool configurations

Understanding Tool Approaches

Tools operate in two distinct ways within Cotera, giving you flexibility in how you architect your automated workflows:

Tools Within Agent Columns

When you equip an agent with tools, you're giving that AI the ability to decide when and how to use those external capabilities dynamically based on the data it's processing.

Best for: Intelligent, context-aware automation where the appropriate response varies based on data being analyzed

Learn more: Create an LLM agent with tools • Prompt tools effectively

Standalone Tool Columns

Tool columns create direct integrations without requiring an agent to make decisions. These are perfect when you want precise control over what data gets sent where.

Best for: Straightforward integrations where you know exactly what should happen with your data

Learn more: Create a tool column

Tool Categories

Data Fetching Tools

These tools bring additional information into your analysis by connecting to external data sources, expanding the context available beyond what exists in your primary dataset.

Examples: Google Search, LinkedIn data, company information lookups, web scraping

Action Tools

These tools execute tasks and send information to external systems, transforming AI insights into concrete business actions.

Examples: Slack notifications, Google Sheets updates, CRM record updates, email sending

Working with Tools

Connecting Tools

Start by exploring the available tools in Cotera's extensive ecosystem. The platform integrates with hundreds of services covering major business platforms and APIs.

Implementing Tool Integrations

Follow the Use a tool guide for step-by-step instructions on adding tools to your workflows, whether as agent-equipped capabilities or standalone tool columns.

Prompting for Tool Usage

When using tools with agents, effective prompting is essential. Learn how to instruct agents to use tools intelligently with the Prompt tools effectively guide.

Testing Tool Configurations

Before deploying tools to production, validate their behavior using the Test tools and chat functionality to ensure they work as expected.

Custom Integrations

If your required tool isn't in the existing ecosystem, Cotera can add custom tool connections on demand to meet your specific business needs.

Tool Management Best Practices

Choose the Right Approach

Decide between agent-with-tools versus standalone tool columns based on your workflow needs:

  • Use agent-with-tools when you need intelligent, context-dependent decisions
  • Use tool columns when you need predictable, straightforward integrations

Start Simple

Begin with basic tool integrations before building complex multi-tool workflows. Master single-tool scenarios, then expand to more sophisticated automation.

Test Thoroughly

Always test tool configurations in a controlled environment before deploying to production data. Use the testing functionality to validate behavior with sample data.

Monitor Results

After deploying tools, monitor their outputs to ensure they're performing as expected. Refine your configuration based on real-world results.

Advanced Tool Guides

Once you're comfortable with the basics, explore these specialized guides:

Exploring Available Tools

Cotera integrates with an extensive ecosystem of tools across various categories:

  • Communication: Slack, Discord, Twilio
  • CRM & Sales: Salesforce, HubSpot, Attio, Apollo
  • Marketing: Klaviyo, Instantly, SmartLead
  • Data & Research: Google Search, Perplexity, SimilarWeb
  • Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit
  • Productivity: Google Sheets, Notion, Linear
  • E-commerce: Shopify, Poshmark
  • Support: Zendesk, Intercom, Kustomer

Browse the complete list in the individual tools reference to find integrations that match your workflow needs.

Need Help?

If you get stuck or need more specific guidance, refer back to the foundational concepts linked above in the "Before You Begin" section. For detailed information about specific tools, consult the individual tools reference documentation.