Definition · architectures
tool-use workflow
tool-use workflow is a workflow organized around selecting, calling, and checking one or more tools. You can spot tool-use workflow in practice when the record shows what the system observes, what choice it makes, and what changes next, without asking the reader to guess or trust a slogan.
157 definitions656 sourced recordsNamed source: ACL Anthology
Why does tool-use workflow matter?
A workflow joins tool choice, calls, checks, and next steps. Each join is a place to set control. For tool-use workflow, start with three checks: Who chooses the next step? Where does state live between steps? Who owns recovery when a step fails? The answers should point to visible evidence, not a promise.
What does tool-use workflow look like?
An agent finds a file tool, reads a report, checks the schema, then writes an approved summary. This example makes tool-use workflow visible by naming the actor, the action, and the result in practice. It is an illustration for readers, not a claim that every product behaves this way.
What is tool-use workflow easy to confuse with?
A tool-use workflow covers the full process around tools. Tool invocation is one call. The closest entries here are tool routing, universal workflow, agent workflow. Compare their definitions with tool-use workflow before using the names as if they mean the same thing. That comparison keeps tool-use workflow separate from nearby ideas without pretending the boundary is always perfect.
How certain is this definition?
This definition is provisional. ACL Anthology supports the version you see today, but a better or more direct source may change it. Open the cited page and check its date before you use this entry to choose a product, write a policy, set a safety control, or design a system.
Who introduced the term tool-use workflow?
We have not verified who first introduced tool-use workflow. The source supports a useful definition, but it may not be the earliest use. Until a dated primary record settles the question, we leave the origin open. A popular article or product page is not enough to name the person who coined a term.
What should you understand before tool-use workflow?
Read agent workflow first when tool-use workflow depends on a more basic idea or mechanism. The link gives you a useful route through the glossary. It does not mean every author teaches the subject in this order, so follow the source when the sequence matters.
What should this term help you answer?
Use tool-use workflow to ask what an agent can observe, decide, change, remember, or hand off. The questions below turn the definition into a practical check. They are prompts for your own work, not claims made by the source, so change them to fit the system you are examining.
- Who chooses the next step?
- Where does state live between steps?
- Who owns recovery when a step fails?
Which source supports this definition of tool-use workflow?
ACL Anthology supports this working definition of tool-use workflow. We checked the link on 2026-07-12. Open the original record for its context, methods, limits, and publication details. The short explanation here is a guide to tool-use workflow; the linked source remains the evidence to inspect when the wording or boundary matters.
source foundtool-use workflowChecked 2026-07-12→