# Tools and connections

Tools provide executable actions such as web search, repository queries, monitoring queries, and messaging. Skills describe methods; tools supply actions. Writing a skill does not configure its external services.

## Check three separate objects

| Object | Purpose | Configuration location |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tool capability | Defines available actions | Tool marketplace or Custom tools |
| Connection or instance | Specifies the service and credentials | Tool configuration page |
| Agent binding | Allows an assistant to use the capability | Tools section in agent details |

Bocha, Tavily, and Brave use provider-specific search credentials. Other marketplace tools distinguish connections through instances, such as separate GitHub connections or messaging applications. Custom tools connect through MCP.

## Establish that a tool works

Save configuration → test the connection → invoke it through the agent → verify the external result. Each step proves something different. A successful connection test does not establish message delivery, and a configured card does not establish that the target agent called it.

Start with the relevant [tool configuration guide](configuration/index.md).