Use tools in conversations
Tools let a conversation do real work — search, fetch, generate, act on connected systems. You choose what is available, and every action stays visible and approvable.
Running tools in a conversation
Work with tool calls
Pick tools for the conversation
Open the tools picker in the composer. It lists built-in tools, plugins, and MCP servers with their connection status — connected, missing, or needing authorization. Enable only what this topic needs; a smaller tool set means faster, more predictable runs.
Read tool calls as they happen
When the agent calls a tool, the call renders as a card in the conversation: tool name, arguments, and status. Click the card to open the tool detail panel on the right, where the full input and output live. Structured results — files, pages, tasks — open in the same right-side portal.
Approve or deny at the intervention bar
When a tool needs permission, the intervention bar appears. Inspect the requested action and its arguments, edit them where editable, then approve or deny. If several tool calls need review, Wingman finishes the current approval before enabling the next one. Use remember or auto-approve choices only when the same action is safe to repeat in the current context. Nothing runs while a decision is pending.
Follow long runs with the todo tracker
On multi-step runs the agent keeps a todo checklist, shown as a progress strip in the conversation. Watch items tick off to follow where the run is — and to see immediately where it stalled if something goes wrong.
Approval modes
Approving tool calls
| Approval mode | What it means | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Manual | Read-only Wingman steps run right away, such as a knowledge-base or code-example search, opening a Wingman project or document, or loading a skill. Steps that create, change, or delete projects and documents, or run commands, pause for your review, and so does every tool from an MCP server you add yourself. | Normal tool work, especially when files, credentials, or shared systems are involved. |
| Allow List | Known approved tools run without another prompt; other tools still ask first. | A topic repeats a small set of trusted tool calls. |
| Auto Approve | Tool calls continue without stopping for review. | Only trusted repeat runs where the scope and connected systems are clear. |
| Runtime Off | Separate from approval mode: keeps the topic in plain chat with no tool runtime at all. | Explanation and planning work before enabling tools. |