Actions & Tool Use

Actions allow your agent to call external APIs, fetch real-time data, and perform tasks in other apps. This transforms your agent from a simple "FAQ Bot" into a "Functional Agent."

How it works

1. Trigger: The user asks a question that requires an action (e.g., "Where is my order?").
2. Extraction: The AI understands the intent and extracts the necessary parameters (e.g., order_id: "12345").
3. Execution: BotDesk calls the connected API (e.g., Shopify) with that parameter.
4. Response: The API returns the data (e.g., status: "Shipped").
5. Synthesis: The AI formulates a natural language response: "Your order #12345 has been shipped and is expected to arrive this Friday!"

Native Actions vs Webhooks

• Native Actions: One-click integrations for Shopify, Stripe, Google Calendar, and Gmail. We handle the API mapping for you.
• Custom Webhooks: Connect your own internal API or any CRM not natively supported. You define the endpoint and the fields you want the AI to capture.

Best Practices

• Clear Labels: Give your actions descriptive names so the AI knows exactly when to use them.
• Confirmation: For sensitive actions (like "Cancel Subscription" or "Refund"), configure the AI to always ask: "Are you sure you want to proceed with the cancellation?"