# Connect tools, skills, and channels

Create, test, and maintain channel instances, connections, skills, and tools, and confirm whether agents reference them. This page does not bind these objects to agent resource configurations.

## Prerequisites

Prepare credentials that can access the target workspace and the information required by the target agent or external service. For service endpoints, authentication, and general request formats, see [Prepare to call an API](../../api-call-basics.md).

Before updating, deleting, or testing an object, obtain its ID from the corresponding list. After creating a connection or tool, confirm it through its details or list before referencing or binding it.

## Call sequence

1. For the integration target, create or test an unsaved channel configuration, or create and probe a connection.
2. After confirming the channel or connection, create, import, or update skills and tools. For MCP tools, confirm the connection before batch creation.
3. Query object details, versions, files, and referencing agents to confirm available objects and dependencies.
4. Before deleting a connection, tool, skill, or channel, query its references and check the relevant operation page for impact and conditions.

## API operations

### Manage channel instances

| What you need to do | API operation | Use it when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Create a channel instance | [Create a channel instance](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/channel-instances/create-channel-instance.md) | You need a new channel instance. |
| List channel instances | [List channel instances](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/channel-instances/list-channel-instances.md) | You need to select or confirm a target channel. |
| Get channel instance details | [Get channel instance](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/channel-instances/get-channel-instance.md) | You need to confirm a channel before updating, testing, or deleting it. |
| Update a channel instance | [Update a channel instance](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/channel-instances/update-channel-instance.md) | You have the channel ID and need to change it. |
| Test an unsaved channel configuration | [Test a new channel configuration](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/channel-instances/test-new-channel-configuration.md) | You need to validate a proposed configuration before creating it. |
| Test a created channel instance | [Test a channel instance](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/channel-instances/test-channel-instance.md) | You need to validate an existing channel. |
| Delete a channel instance | [Delete a channel instance](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/channel-instances/delete-channel-instance.md) | You checked the operation page for its impact and conditions. |

### Manage connections and MCP tools

| What you need to do | API operation | Use it when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Create a connection | [Create a connection](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/connections/create-connection.md) | You need a new agent connection. |
| List connections | [List connections](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/connections/list-connections.md) | You need to select or confirm a target connection. |
| Get connection details | [Get a connection](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/connections/get-connection.md) | You need to confirm a connection before updating or probing it. |
| Update a connection | [Update a connection](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/connections/update-connection.md) | You have the connection ID and need to change it. |
| Probe an MCP connection | [Probe an MCP connection](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/connections/probe-mcp-connection.md) | You need to check an MCP connection after creating or updating it. |
| Batch-create MCP tools | [Batch-create MCP tools](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/connections/batch-create-mcp-tools.md) | You confirmed an MCP connection and need to create tools. |

### Manage skills

| What you need to do | API operation | Use it when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Create a skill | [Create a skill](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/create-skill.md) | You need a new skill. |
| Import a skill package | [Import a skill package](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/import-skill-package.md) | You have a skill package to import. |
| Inspect a skill package | [Inspect a skill package](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/inspect-skill-package.md) | You need to inspect a skill package before importing it. |
| Polish a skill draft with streaming output | [Generate a skill with AI](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/polish-skill-stream.md) | You need to process a skill draft. |
| List skills | [List skills](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/list-skills.md) | You need to select or confirm a skill. |
| Get skill details | [Get a skill](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/get-skill.md) | You need to confirm a skill before updating it or setting its version. |
| Update a skill | [Update a skill](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/update-skill.md) | You have the skill ID and need to change it. |
| List skill versions | [List skill versions](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/list-skill-versions.md) | You need to choose a skill version. |
| Set the current skill version | [Set the current skill version](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/set-current-skill-version.md) | You need to switch the current version. |
| List skill files | [List skill files](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/list-skill-files.md) | You need to inspect skill files. |
| Download a skill file | [Download a skill file](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/download-skill-file.md) | You need to obtain a skill file. |
| List skill tags | [List skill tags](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/list-skill-tags.md) | You need to understand skills by tag. |
| Execute a skill | [Execute a skill](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/execute-skill.md) | You need to run a target skill. |
| List agents that reference a skill | [List agents that reference a skill](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/list-referencing-agents.md) | You need to check skill references before updating or deleting it. |

### Manage tools and tool connections

| What you need to do | API operation | Use it when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Create a tool | [Create a tool](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/create-tool.md) | You need a new tool. |
| List tools | [List tools](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/list-tools.md) | You need to select or confirm a tool. |
| Get tool details | [Get a tool](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/get-tool.md) | You need to confirm a tool before updating or deleting it. |
| Update a tool | [Update a tool](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/update-tool.md) | You have the tool ID and need to change it. |
| List tool tags | [List tool tags](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/list-tool-tags.md) | You need to understand tools by tag. |
| List agents that reference a tool | [List agents that reference a tool](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/list-referencing-agents.md) | You need to check tool references before deleting it. |
| Save a GitHub tool connection | [Connect GitHub](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/connect-github.md) | You need to configure a GitHub tool connection. |
| Get a GitHub tool connection | [Get GitHub connection](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/get-github-connection.md) | You need to confirm a GitHub tool connection. |
| Delete a GitHub tool connection | [Disconnect GitHub](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/disconnect-github.md) | You need to remove a confirmed GitHub connection. |
| Save a Grafana tool connection | [Connect Grafana](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/connect-grafana.md) | You need to configure a Grafana tool connection. |
| Get a Grafana tool connection | [Get Grafana connection](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/get-grafana-connection.md) | You need to confirm a Grafana tool connection. |
| Delete a Grafana tool connection | [Disconnect Grafana](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/disconnect-grafana.md) | You need to remove a confirmed Grafana connection. |
| Save a mail tool connection | [Connect mail](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/connect-mail.md) | You need to configure a mail tool connection. |
| Get a mail tool connection | [Get mail connection](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/get-mail-connection.md) | You need to confirm a mail tool connection. |
| Delete a mail tool connection | [Disconnect mail](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/disconnect-mail.md) | You need to remove a confirmed mail connection. |
| Generate WeCom callback secrets | [Generate WeCom callback secrets](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/generate-wecom-callback-secrets.md) | You need the secrets required to configure a WeCom callback. |

## Confirm the result

After creating, updating, or testing an object, use its corresponding details or list operation to confirm it. To assess deletion impact, first query [agents that reference the skill](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/skills/list-referencing-agents.md) or [agents that reference the tool](../../../../reference/api/ai-studio/agents/tools/list-referencing-agents.md).

## Limitations and notes

Deleting channels, tool connections, or referenced objects may affect related agents. Check the relevant operation page for conditions and results before proceeding.

## Next steps

- [Bind knowledge bases, workflows, and resources](knowledge-workflow-resource-bindings.md)
- [Create and maintain agents](agents.md)