| name | create-client-tool |
| description | MUST be used whenever creating an AtlasTool (client-side tool) for an Atlas agent. Do NOT manually write AtlasTool definitions or wire them into useAtlasChat — this skill handles the TypeBox schema, execute function, and hook wiring. Prerequisite: integrate-atlas-chat (vendored src/atlas-agent + TypeBox/AJV deps). This includes tools that fetch data, render UI, call APIs, show charts, query local state, or perform any browser-side action. Triggers: AtlasTool, client tool, add tool, create tool, new tool, tool definition, agent tool. |
| allowed-tools | Read, Glob, Grep, Edit, Write |
| metadata | {"argument-hint":"[tool-name] [brief description of what it does]"} |
Create a Client Tool
Scaffold a new AtlasTool named $ARGUMENTS and wire it into the app.
Prerequisite
integrate-atlas-chat must already be complete: the app should vend the atlas-agent sources under src/atlas-agent/ (including react.ts) and have @sinclair/typebox installed as in that skill.
Background
Client tools let the Atlas Agent invoke logic that runs in the browser — rendering charts,
querying local state, showing UI panels, triggering navigation, etc. The agent decides when
to call the tool; the app executes it and returns a result.
The flow is:
- Agent responds with a
clientTool action
- The library validates the arguments against the TypeBox schema
execute() runs in the browser and returns { output, details }
output (string) is sent back to the agent as the tool result
details (any shape) is available on message.toolCalls for the UI to render
Step 1 — Understand the codebase
Before writing anything, read:
- The file where
useAtlasChat is called (often src/App.tsx or a chat hook) to find where tools is passed — imports are typically from ./atlas-agent/react after integrate-atlas-chat
- Any existing tool definitions to match the file/naming conventions
Step 2 — Define the tool
Create the tool as a typed constant. Use Type from @sinclair/typebox to define the parameters schema — this gives both compile-time types and runtime validation (same stack as the vendored atlas-agent from integrate-atlas-chat).
import { Type } from "@sinclair/typebox";
import type { AtlasTool } from "./atlas-agent/types";
export const myTool: AtlasTool = {
name: "my_tool",
description:
"One sentence describing what this tool does and when the agent should call it.",
parameters: Type.Object({
exampleParam: Type.String({ description: "What this param is for" }),
optionalNum: Type.Optional(Type.Number({ description: "..." })),
}),
execute: async (args) => {
return {
output: "Plain text summary sent back to the agent",
details: {
},
};
},
};
Adjust the ./atlas-agent/... path if the tool file is not directly under src/ next to the atlas-agent folder (for example ../atlas-agent/types from src/tools/).
TypeBox quick reference
| Schema | Usage |
|---|
Type.String() | string |
Type.Number() | number |
Type.Boolean() | boolean |
Type.Literal("foo") | exact value |
Type.Union([Type.Literal("a"), Type.Literal("b")]) | enum |
Type.Array(Type.String()) | string[] |
Type.Object({ ... }) | object |
Type.Optional(...) | mark any field optional |
Always add a description to each field — the agent uses these to understand what to pass.
Step 3 — Wire into useAtlasChat
Find the useAtlasChat call and add the tool to the tools array:
const { messages, send, ... } = useAtlasChat({
client: isLoading ? null : sdk,
agentExternalId: AGENT_EXTERNAL_ID,
tools: [myTool],
});
Step 4 — Render tool results (if needed)
If the tool returns structured details, render them in the message list.
message.toolCalls is a ToolCall[] — one entry per tool call (client-side and server-side) in call order.
{msg.toolCalls?.map((tc, i) => (
<MyToolOutput key={i} data={tc.details as MyToolDetails} />
))}
Done
The agent can now invoke $ARGUMENTS. Describe what it does clearly in the description
field — the agent relies on that string to decide when and how to call the tool.