> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.genesis.autify.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.genesis.autify.com/ai-feature/tools.md).

# Tools

In Autify Genesis, the AI Assistant and AI Agent blocks combine AI models with tools so they can explore codebases, read files, and work with external services.

## Tool types

Available tools fall into three types.

| Type                                             | Description                                                                                                                                                       |
| ------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Built-in tools that are individually enabled     | Built-in tools that you select from the **Tools** tab in an AI Agent block. In the AI Assistant, these are used automatically.                                    |
| Tools that are auto-attached based on conditions | Tools that are added automatically based on the workspace state or active integrations.                                                                           |
| Custom MCP servers                               | Tools that become available when you register an external MCP (Model Context Protocol) connection for the workspace under **Resources & context > Integrations**. |

## Built-in tools

Common built-in tools include the following.

| Tool                  | Description                                                                                     |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Explore               | Use bash-style commands to inspect the workspace codebase and uploaded files in read-only mode. |
| View media            | Load and analyze images and PDFs stored in the workspace.                                       |
| Search knowledge base | Run semantic search across registered codebases and specification files.                        |
| File versions         | List all versions of an uploaded file.                                                          |
| Fetch URL             | Retrieve data from a public web URL.                                                            |
| Analyze video         | Inspect an uploaded video and summarize what happens.                                           |
| Remote machine        | Run commands on a real machine the user has connected over SSH.                                 |
| Sandbox               | Run commands in a disposable, private sandbox environment and see the results.                  |

{% hint style="info" %}
Remote machine and Sandbox are only available when they're enabled for your organization. If **Settings > Remote machines** doesn't appear, or **Sandbox** doesn't appear among the execution tools, contact Autify support.
{% endhint %}

## Tools that are auto-attached

Some tools appear automatically without any manual selection.

* File tools such as **Read file** are always attached automatically.
* **Generate image** is attached only in the AI Assistant, when the Google provider is available for your organization.
* **GitHub tools** are available when GitHub is connected under **Resources & context > Codebase**.
* **Slack tools** are available when Slack is connected for the organization and the workspace has bound channels. They include **Connect Slack channel**, **List Slack channels**, **Read Slack thread**, **Import Slack file**, and **Send Slack message**. Replies and file sends stay in the intended Slack thread. When explicitly requested by the user, an agent can also specify the sender name and icon. To customize the sender, reconnect Slack to update its permissions.
* **Write file to Google Sheets** is automatically added when an editable Google spreadsheet is linked to the workspace. It writes JSON, CSV, TSV, or XLSX table data from a saved file. In a Sandbox-enabled execution, it can also use a Sandbox file.
* In workflow AI Agent blocks, you can read a bound channel's thread from a message permalink or from a channel ID and parent-message timestamp. You can also read channel history within a date range. When a result is paged, use the returned continuation cursor to get the remaining messages.
* In workflow **AI Agent** blocks, read-only query tools may also be auto-attached based on the execution context and permissions. These let the agent inspect workspace data such as workflows, files, specs, directories, and Spaces before it takes action.
* **Aximo tools** are available when an Aximo connection is configured for the workspace.
* **Spaces tools** are available when Spaces is enabled for your organization. They create and update Spaces and collections, search rows by keyword (**Search entries**), and view and configure boards, save default board views, and move cards.

## Custom MCP servers

Register external MCP connections from **Resources & context > Integrations** on the workspace page.

| Location                    | How to use                                                                                                            |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| AI Assistant (chat)         | Chat starts with the always-on tools plus an MCP tool catalog, and it can load only the MCP tools you need on demand. |
| AI Agent block in workflows | Add the connections you want to use from the block's **MCP servers** tab.                                             |

In chat, you can use `load_mcp_tools` to load tools by server, search query, explicit tool names, or a combination of those selectors.

{% hint style="info" %}
For steps to register and manage workspace-level MCP connections, see [Integrations](/resources-context/integrations.md).
{% endhint %}