Tool calling
Letting an AI agent invoke a real function — looking up an order, checking availability, calling your API — instead of only generating text.
One term from the WhatsApp Business Platform glossary. Last updated 2026-07-25.
Without tools, an agent can only describe your process. With them, it can execute a step of it: fetch a live order status, check a calendar, create a ticket. The agent decides when a tool is needed and the platform runs it.
Every tool call should be logged and permission-scoped. An agent able to read an order is a support improvement; an agent able to modify or cancel one without constraints is an operational risk.
Related terms
- Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
- A technique where an AI agent retrieves passages from your own knowledge base before answering, so replies are grounded in your documented policies and product facts rather than invented.
- Chatbot
- Software that holds an automated conversation with a customer. On WhatsApp it ranges from simple keyword rules to an AI agent that understands open-ended questions.
- API key
- A credential your own systems use to call a platform's API. Scoped keys grant only the permissions a specific integration needs.
See Tool calling in a real workspace
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