> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.anyreach.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Built-in tools
> Platform-provided tools you can enable: web search, webpage retrieval, time, and continue-on-phone.
Built-in tools are capabilities Anyreach hosts for you. Unlike config tools (which you define and point at your own webhooks), you turn these on by adding the matching key under `built_in_tools` in an agent version, and the platform supplies the implementation. The model decides when to call them during a conversation.
Each built-in tool is independent: include the key to enable it, omit it to disable it. The keys live under `agent.built_in_tools`:
| Key | Tool exposed to the model | What it does |
| ------------------- | ------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `time_tool` | `get_current_time` | Returns the current date and time in a timezone. |
| `web_search` | `web_search` | Searches the web (Google, via Serper). |
| `retrieve_webpage` | `retrieve_webpage` | Fetches a webpage and returns it as markdown (via Firecrawl). |
| `continue_on_phone` | `continue_on_phone` | Starts an outbound call to move a web chat onto the phone. WebRTC only. |
| `widgets` | `show_*_widget` | Renders interactive chat widgets. WebRTC only. See [/agents/web-chat-widgets-and-forms](/agents/web-chat-widgets-and-forms). |
| `forms` | `show_form_*` | Renders structured input forms. WebRTC only. See [/agents/web-chat-widgets-and-forms](/agents/web-chat-widgets-and-forms). |
This page covers `time_tool`, `web_search`, `retrieve_webpage`, and `continue_on_phone`. Widgets and forms are documented on the [web chat widgets and forms](/agents/web-chat-widgets-and-forms) page.
Built-in tools are exposed to the model alongside your config tools. For how config tools work, see [/agents/tools](/agents/tools).
## Time
Enable `time_tool` to give the agent the `get_current_time` tool. The model can ask for the current date and time, optionally in a specific timezone.
| Field | Type | Default | Description |
| ------------------ | ------------------ | ------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `default_timezone` | string (IANA name) | `UTC` | Timezone used when the model does not pass one (for example `America/New_York`). |
The tool accepts an optional `timezone` argument (an IANA name such as `Europe/London` or `Asia/Tokyo`); when omitted, the agent's `default_timezone` is used. `time_tool` works on every channel and direction.
## Web search
Enable `web_search` to give the agent the `web_search` tool, which queries Google through Serper.
The tool takes:
| Argument | Type | Required | Description |
| -------- | ------ | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `query` | string | Yes | The search query. Supports Google operators like `site:` and `in:`. |
| `type` | enum | Yes | One of `search`, `images`, `news`, `shopping`. Invalid values fall back to `search`. |
`web_search` has no configuration fields; add `web_search: {}` to enable it.
Web search requires a `SERPER_API_KEY` to be configured on the platform. If it is not set, the tool returns `web_search is not configured` instead of results.
## Retrieve webpage
Enable `retrieve_webpage` to give the agent the `retrieve_webpage` tool. It fetches a single URL and returns the page as markdown, scraped through Firecrawl. Use it to read articles, product pages, or documentation when the agent needs a page's full content.
| Argument | Type | Required | Description |
| -------- | ------ | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `url` | string | Yes | The full URL to retrieve (for example `https://example.com/page`). |
`retrieve_webpage` has no configuration fields; add `retrieve_webpage: {}` to enable it.
Webpage retrieval requires a `FIRECRAWL_API_KEY` to be configured on the platform. If it is not set, the tool returns `retrieve_webpage is not configured`.
## Continue on phone
Enable `continue_on_phone` to let a web chat agent move the conversation onto a phone call. When the user wants to switch from chat to a call, the model calls `continue_on_phone` with the user's phone number and the platform initiates an outbound call.
`continue_on_phone` is only available on the WebRTC (web chat) channel. Enabling it has no effect on telephone or other channels.
The tool takes one argument from the model:
| Argument | Type | Required | Description |
| -------------- | -------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `phone_number` | string (E.164) | Yes | The user's phone number to call, for example `+14155551234`. |
You control which agent and number place the call with the configuration fields below. All are optional.
| Field | Type | Default | Description |
| -------------- | -------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `agent_id` | string | Current agent | Agent to use for the phone call. Falls back to the current agent if not set. |
| `version` | integer | Latest published | Specific agent version number. Only used together with `agent_id`. |
| `agent_number` | string (E.164) | Agent's assigned number | The number to call **from**. Falls back to the number assigned to the agent if not set. |
## WebRTC thinking hints
On the WebRTC channel only, `web_search` and `retrieve_webpage` gain an extra required argument so the agent can tell the user what it is doing while a slow call runs:
| Argument | Type | Description |
| --------------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `thinking_hint` | string | A brief, contextual hint shown to the user while the tool runs (for example `Looking up laptop reviews...`). |
On the same channel, a standalone `set_thinking_hint` tool is also added so the agent can surface a processing hint at any time. It takes a single required `hint` string.
The `thinking_hint` argument and the `set_thinking_hint` tool appear only on WebRTC. On other channels, `web_search` and `retrieve_webpage` keep their base argument set and no `set_thinking_hint` tool is added.
## Per-channel availability
A single function, `compute_runtime_tool_specs`, decides which tools the runtime exposes for a given agent config, channel, and direction. The same `built_in_tools` config behaves differently depending on where the conversation runs:
| Tool | Telephone | WebRTC | Notes |
| ------------------- | --------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `get_current_time` | Yes | Yes | Channel-independent. |
| `web_search` | Yes | Yes | Gains `thinking_hint` on WebRTC. |
| `retrieve_webpage` | Yes | Yes | Gains `thinking_hint` on WebRTC. |
| `set_thinking_hint` | No | Yes | Added whenever widgets are configured on WebRTC. |
| `continue_on_phone` | No | Yes | WebRTC only. |
| `show_*_widget` | No | Yes | WebRTC only. See [/agents/web-chat-widgets-and-forms](/agents/web-chat-widgets-and-forms). |
| `show_form_*` | No | Yes | WebRTC only. See [/agents/web-chat-widgets-and-forms](/agents/web-chat-widgets-and-forms). |
Config-declared tools are always added first, then `time_tool`, then channel-specific built-ins, so the order the model sees is consistent across runs.
Direction matters for some tools beyond the built-ins (for example voicemail detection is added only for outbound telephone calls), but the built-in tools above depend only on whether they are configured and on the channel.
## Related
Configure interactive widgets and structured forms for WebRTC chat.
Define your own config tools that call external webhooks.