Abilities and actions

An action is a discrete operation an agent performs during a conversation: play a message, transfer the call, query a knowledge base, run a workflow, and more. Actions never run on their own. They are grouped into a tool that the LLM decides to call, so the model controls when an ability fires while the configuration controls what it does.

The tool model

A tool (ToolCall) exposes a single function to the LLM. When the model calls it, the agent runs the tool’s ordered list of actions, then renders an output the model can read back.

Field	Type	Default	Description
`name`	string	required	Function name the LLM invokes.
`description`	string	required	When to call the tool. The model uses this to decide.
`properties`	object	`{}`	JSON-Schema-style argument definitions the LLM fills in.
`required`	string[]	`[]`	Argument names that must be supplied.
`actions`	`Action[]`	required	Ordered list of actions run when the tool is called.
`actions_on_error`	`Action[]`	`[]`	Actions run if one of the main actions raises an error.
`output`	string	`null`	Template rendered and returned to the LLM after the actions run.

Actions execute in order. Each action whose condition passes runs; its result is merged into the tool’s data so later actions and the output template can reference it.

Every action carries an optional condition expression. When set, the action runs only if the expression evaluates truthy against the current tool-call data. Leave it empty to always run the action.

Action catalog

Actions form a discriminated union keyed on type. The full set:

`type`	Title	Purpose
`play_message`	Play Message	Speak or send a message to the contact.
`cold_transfer`	Cold Transfer	Hand the call to another number and drop off.
`warm_transfer`	Warm Transfer	Brief a supervisor, then connect them to the caller.
`conference`	Add to Conference	Add the call to a conference bridge.
`dtmf`	Send DTMF	Send touch-tone digits or letters.
`hangup`	Hangup	End the call.
`leave_room`	Leave Room	Remove the agent from the room.
`wait`	Wait	Pause for a number of seconds.
`update_endpointing`	Update Endpointing	Adjust turn-detection timing mid-call.
`play_audio`	Play Audio	Play an audio file (loopable).
`stop_audio`	Stop Audio	Stop a currently playing audio file.
`workflow`	Workflow	Run a workflow by reference or inline.
`knowledge_base`	Knowledge Base	Run a RAG query against a dataset.

Transfers, conferencing, and DTMF have their own page. See /agents/transfers for the call-routing actions (cold_transfer, warm_transfer, conference, dtmf).

play_message

Field	Type	Default	Description
`message`	string	required	The message text. Supports templating.
`generate`	bool	`false`	Generate a paraphrase instead of speaking the literal text.
`wait_for_playout`	bool	`true`	Wait for the message to finish before the next action.
`allow_interruptions`	bool	`true`	Allow the contact to interrupt the message.
`condition`	string	`null`	Run only if this expression is truthy.

workflow

Runs a workflow either by reference (workflow_id + workflow_version) or as an inline definition. The two sources are mutually exclusive.

Field	Type	Default	Description
`workflow_id`	string	`null`	ID of a saved workflow. Requires `workflow_version`.
`workflow_version`	int	`null`	Version of the saved workflow.
`initial_step`	string	`null`	Step to start at. Required when using a reference; defaults to `trigger` for inline definitions.
`definition`	object	`null`	Inline workflow definition. Mutually exclusive with `workflow_id`/`workflow_version`.
`reject_on_error`	bool	`false`	If true, abort the conversation when the workflow fails.
`condition`	string	`null`	Run only if this expression is truthy.

You must supply either workflow_id + workflow_version or a non-empty inline definition, but not both. When using a reference, initial_step is required.

The workflow runs synchronously. The tool-call arguments and conversation data are passed as input, and the workflow’s output (or its context if there is no output) becomes the action result.

knowledge_base

Runs a retrieval query against a knowledge base dataset and returns the top matches as content and score pairs.

Field	Type	Default	Description
`dataset_id`	string	required	The dataset to query.
`query`	string	required	Query text. Supports templating against tool-call data.
`top_n`	int	`5`	Number of results to return.
`condition`	string	`null`	Run only if this expression is truthy.

wait

Field	Type	Default	Description
`seconds`	float	`1.0`	How long to pause.
`condition`	string	`null`	Run only if this expression is truthy.

play_audio / stop_audio

Field	Type	Default	Description
`audio_url`	string	required	URL to an MP3 or WAV file (`play_audio` only).
`loop`	bool	`false`	Loop the file until stopped (`play_audio` only).
`condition`	string	`null`	Run only if this expression is truthy.

stop_audio takes only condition and stops the currently playing file.

update_endpointing

Adjusts turn-detection timing mid-call. Both delays are optional; leave one unset to keep its current value.

Field	Type	Default	Description
`min_endpointing_delay`	float	`null`	Minimum endpointing delay in seconds.
`max_endpointing_delay`	float	`null`	Maximum endpointing delay in seconds.
`condition`	string	`null`	Run only if this expression is truthy.

hangup / leave_room

Both take only condition. hangup ends the call; leave_room removes the agent from the room.

Which actions run on which channel

The action catalog is built for telephony. On the async text and email engine there is no audio playout or call control, so only three action types execute:

Async text / email engine
├── workflow         ✓ runs
├── knowledge_base   ✓ runs
├── play_message     ✓ runs (returns the rendered text as output)
└── everything else  ✗ skipped with a warning

Action	Voice / telephony	Async text / email
`play_message`	✓	✓ (rendered text returned, no audio)
`workflow`	✓	✓
`knowledge_base`	✓	✓
`cold_transfer`	✓	skipped
`warm_transfer`	✓	skipped
`conference`	✓	skipped
`dtmf`	✓	skipped
`hangup`	✓	skipped
`leave_room`	✓	skipped
`wait`	✓	skipped
`update_endpointing`	✓	skipped
`play_audio`	✓	skipped
`stop_audio`	✓	skipped

On async channels, play_message has no audio playout. The rendered message text is returned as the action output so the tool’s output template can reference it. Any voice-only action is skipped and logged, not failed.

Tools

How the LLM decides to call a tool and what arguments it passes.

Transfers and call routing

Cold transfer, warm transfer, conference, and DTMF in depth.

Workflows

Build the workflows a workflow action runs.

Knowledge bases with agents

Connect datasets a knowledge_base action can query.

Getting Started

Agents

Knowledge Bases

Telephony

Web Widgets

Email

Campaigns

Conversations

Evaluation & Metrics

Agent Assist

Workflows

Custom Data

Anyreach in Claude

Organizations & Billing

Abilities and actions

The tool model

Action catalog

play_message

workflow

knowledge_base

wait

play_audio / stop_audio

update_endpointing

hangup / leave_room

Which actions run on which channel

Tools

Transfers and call routing

Workflows

Knowledge bases with agents

​The tool model

​Action catalog

​play_message

​workflow

​knowledge_base

​wait

​play_audio / stop_audio

​update_endpointing

​hangup / leave_room

​Which actions run on which channel

​Related

Tools

Transfers and call routing

Workflows

Knowledge bases with agents

The tool model

Action catalog

play_message

workflow

knowledge_base

wait

play_audio / stop_audio

update_endpointing

hangup / leave_room

Which actions run on which channel

Related