What you’ll learn

  • Understanding custom tools and their purpose
  • How to configure custom tool integrations
  • Setting up authentication and security

Understanding Custom Tools

What is a Custom Tool?

A Custom Tool in Verbex acts as a bridge between your AI Assistant and your external business systems. It enables your assistant to interact directly with other software systems your business uses daily.

Think of custom tools as teaching your AI Assistant how to use your business software - when a customer asks about an order, your assistant can look it up directly in your system!

Purpose and Functionality

Custom tools transform your AI Assistant from a conversational interface into an active participant in your business processes. For example:

  • Check order status in real-time
  • Create leads in your CRM
  • Schedule appointments
  • Update customer records

Technical Configuration

Each custom tool requires several key components:

  1. Name: A descriptive identifier (e.g., “create_salesforce_lead”)
  2. Description: A brief description of the tool’s purpose (e.g., “Create a new lead in Salesforce by sending lead data name, email, and company name to the API”)
  3. Endpoint URL: Where to send requests (e.g., “https://api.yoursystem.com/leads”)
  4. HTTP Method: How to interact (POST, GET, etc.)
  5. Parameters: What data to send or receive

Authentication and Security

Security is managed through authentication parameters:

  • API keys in headers
  • Bearer tokens
  • OAuth credentials
  • Custom authentication methods

Always store sensitive credentials securely and never expose them in your code or conversations.

Adding Custom Tools Using Dashboard

In the dashboard, you can add custom tools by clicking on the “Add Tool” button and selecting “Custom Tool”. In the UI you will find all the necessary fields to fill in as a REST API request.

Learn about how to Integrate Salesforce CRM → as a custom tool.