A tool can give an agent a defined way to look up information or perform an action. A connector supplies the connection needed for a supported service. Instructions alone do not create either capability.
Start in the agent configuration
Open the agent’s Configuration tab and review Connectors. Use the options actually shown for your account and agent. Check the connection state and any requirements displayed by the console before relying on an action.
The set of available services may change. A service mentioned in a business document is not automatically connected, and an instruction naming a tool does not enable it.
Define the action before enabling it
For each action, answer four questions:
| Question | Example planning answer |
|---|---|
| What should it do? | Look up an approved service record. |
| What information does it need? | The reference the caller provides. |
| What proves success? | A clear result from the configured action. |
| What happens if it fails? | Explain that the result is unavailable and use the agreed follow-up process. |
Keep permissions limited to the job. For an action that changes an external system, make the caller’s intent and the completion condition explicit.
Match the instructions to the result
Use only the actions enabled for this agent.
If an action returns a confirmed result, explain that result briefly.
If it fails or returns an unclear outcome, say that completion is not confirmed.
Do not tell the caller that a record, booking or message was created without evidence.
If the connection is unavailable, the agent should still explain what remains pending. It should not disguise an uncompleted action as a success. See Agent instructions for a fuller template.
Plan changes carefully
Review the connected account and the agent’s selected connector whenever business ownership or access changes. Keep credentials in the connection process provided by the service; never paste them into instructions, uploaded knowledge or a public support example.
For the delivered remote-server workflow, follow Custom MCP servers. Discovery saves the account connection; the agent needs an explicit tool selection, Save draft and Publish.
A listed Gmail, Google Calendar or Outlook option alone does not prove a working connection or published call capability. Confirm the connection and supported actions for your account before relying on them; do not promise email or calendar effects from an unconnected option.