# Tools (https://www.librechat.ai/docs/configuration/tools)

LibreChat tools are selected from the **Agent Builder** and run when an agent decides they are useful. This section covers built-in agent tools such as image generation, search, weather, computation, and private index lookup.

<Callout type="info" title="Not the same as Web Search or MCP">

The search tools on this page are tools you add to a specific agent. LibreChat's built-in [Web Search](/docs/features/web_search) feature is configured separately, and custom third-party tools are usually added through [MCP](/docs/features/mcp) or [Actions](/docs/features/agents#actions).

</Callout>

## Quick Setup

<Steps>
  <Step>

### Pick the Tool

Choose a tool from the table below and collect any required API keys, service URLs, or index names.

  </Step>
  <Step>

### Add Credentials

Add the required values to your `.env` file, or let users provide their own credentials from the LibreChat UI when the tool prompts for them.

  </Step>
  <Step>

### Restart LibreChat

Environment variable changes are loaded on restart.

| Deployment | Command |
|------------|---------|
| Docker | `docker compose down && docker compose up -d` |
| Local | Stop the server, then run `npm run backend` again |

  </Step>
  <Step>

### Add the Tool to an Agent

In LibreChat, select **Agents**, create or edit an agent, open the agent's **Tools** list, select the tool, and save the agent.

  </Step>
  <Step>

### Test in Chat

Start a chat with that agent and ask for something that requires the tool, such as a search, calculation, weather report, or image.

  </Step>
</Steps>

## Current Built-In Tools

| Tool | Use it for | Required configuration | Details |
|------|------------|------------------------|---------|
| OpenAI Image Tools | Generate and edit images with OpenAI image models | `IMAGE_GEN_OAI_API_KEY`; optional `IMAGE_GEN_OAI_MODEL` | [Image Generation](/docs/features/image_gen#1--openai-image-tools-recommended) |
| Gemini Image Tools | Generate images and edit with image context using Gemini | `GEMINI_API_KEY`, `GOOGLE_KEY`, or `GOOGLE_SERVICE_KEY_FILE`; optional `GEMINI_IMAGE_MODEL` | [Gemini Image Generation](/docs/configuration/tools/gemini_image_gen) |
| DALL-E-3 | Legacy OpenAI image generation | `DALLE3_API_KEY` or `DALLE_API_KEY` | [DALL-E](/docs/features/image_gen#3--dalle-legacy) |
| Flux | Cloud image generation and fine-tuned image models | `FLUX_API_KEY`; optional `FLUX_API_BASE_URL` | [Flux](/docs/configuration/tools/flux) |
| Stable Diffusion | Local or self-hosted image generation through Automatic1111 | `SD_WEBUI_URL` | [Stable Diffusion](/docs/configuration/tools/stable_diffusion) |
| Google Search | Google Custom Search results for an agent | `GOOGLE_SEARCH_API_KEY` and `GOOGLE_CSE_ID` | [Google Search](/docs/configuration/tools/google_search) |
| Tavily Search | Current web results optimized for agents | `TAVILY_API_KEY` | [Tavily Search](/docs/configuration/tools/tavily) |
| Traversaal | AI search results with sources | `TRAVERSAAL_API_KEY` | [Traversaal](/docs/configuration/tools/traversaal) |
| Azure AI Search | Search a private Azure AI Search index | `AZURE_AI_SEARCH_SERVICE_ENDPOINT`, `AZURE_AI_SEARCH_INDEX_NAME`, `AZURE_AI_SEARCH_API_KEY` | [Azure AI Search](/docs/configuration/tools/azure_ai_search) |
| OpenWeather | Current, forecast, historical, and daily weather data | `OPENWEATHER_API_KEY` | [OpenWeather](/docs/configuration/tools/openweather) |
| Wolfram\|Alpha | Math, computation, units, curated knowledge, and real-time data | `WOLFRAM_APP_ID` | [Wolfram\|Alpha](/docs/configuration/tools/wolfram) |
| Calculator | Basic and complex calculations | None | [Calculator](/docs/configuration/tools/calculator) |

## Creating Custom Tools

Most custom tools should be added without editing LibreChat source code.

- Use [MCP](/docs/features/mcp) when you want to connect an agent to a local script, internal service, database, browser automation server, or a custom API wrapper. For example, a DuckDuckGo search tool can be exposed through an MCP server and then selected from the Agent Builder.
- Use [Actions](/docs/features/agents#actions) when the tool is an HTTP API that can be described with an OpenAPI schema.
- Edit LibreChat's source-level structured tools only when you are developing LibreChat itself. The legacy [Tools and Plugins development guide](/docs/development/tools_and_plugins) remains available for contributors, but MCP and Actions are the recommended extension paths for deployments.

## Tool Availability

Tools are identified internally by their `pluginKey` from LibreChat's `api/app/clients/tools/manifest.json`.

Use [`filteredTools`](/docs/configuration/librechat_yaml/object_structure/config#filteredtools) to hide tools, or [`includedTools`](/docs/configuration/librechat_yaml/object_structure/config#includedtools) to allow only specific tools:

```yaml filename="librechat.yaml"
includedTools:
  - calculator
  - image_gen_oai
  - google
```

If a tool is not visible in the Agent Builder after restart, check the tool's environment variables, `includedTools`, `filteredTools`, and whether the agent's `tools` capability is enabled.